The Minnesota Vikings are staring down a massive projected $44-50 million overage in effective salary cap space for 2026 after their 2025 spending spree—discover how GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah can fix it with smart cuts, restructures, and extensions in this eye-opening episode of The Real Forno Show!
In this insightful episode of The Real Forno Show, hosted by Vikings reporter Tyler Forness and producer Dave Stefano on Vikings 1st & SKOL, the duo delivers a comprehensive salary cap primer for the Minnesota Vikings’ challenging 2026 offseason. Tyler breaks down effective cap space vs. projected figures from Over The Cap, explaining, “right now… the Vikings are the second to last in the NFL… negative 44 [million]… effective cap space… negative 49.99 million,” factoring in draft picks and roster minimums. With $20.7 million potential rollover from 2025, the team needs to clear roughly $28-36 million to get compliant, but Tyler stresses it’s manageable: “it is pretty easy to fix the salary cap.” They explore options like extensions for foundational pieces, restructures to spread money, and cuts for veterans, while weighing long-term ramifications and why pushing costs to future years works for stars like Justin Jefferson. Dave adds, “This was done on purpose… it will be relatively easy.”
Key Points from the Episode:
- Vikings projected $44-50M over (effective cap space includes draft picks; rollover helps reduce to ~$28M needed).
- Extend Brian O’Neill: Saves $15M+ (new hit ~$8M; keeps cornerstone RT long-term).
- Restructure Jonathan Greenard, Justin Jefferson (saves $13-17M each), Christian Darrisaw ($10M); retain young talent.
- Cut or restructure T.J. Hockenson: Cut saves ~$9M but opens TE hole; restructure preferred due to blocking/role value.
- Likely cuts: Javon Hargrave ($10-11M savings), Aaron Jones ($7-8M; injury concerns), Ryan Kelly ($8M; concussion history/retirement risk).
- Overall: Combo of 5 moves could create $60-90M space; pushes money forward but aligns with core pieces staying.
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Don’t miss The Real Forno Show for expert, no-BS Minnesota Vikings analysis, cap breakdowns, draft previews, and offseason strategy on this top Vikings podcast! Subscribe to Vikings 1st & SKOL on YouTube, hit notifications, and join the SKOL community for weekly deep dives.
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Tyler Forness @TheRealForno of Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL and A to Z Sports @AtoZSportsNFL, with Dave Stefano @Luft_Krigare producing this Vikings 1st & SKOL production, the @RealFornoShow. Podcasts partnered with Fans First Sports Network @FansFirstSN.
Question:
What move do you think the Vikings should prioritize first—restructuring Jefferson, cutting Hargrave, or extending O’Neill? Drop your thoughts in the comments! SKOL!
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