The Minnesota Vikings made one of their biggest offseason calls by sending Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles for two third-round picks, and it’s the kind of move that could look smart fast or linger all season if it blows up.
The trade came out of the team’s salary-cap squeeze, with Greenard wanting a new contract Minnesota couldn’t afford. Sports Illustrated’s Eva Geitheim called it a risky move for a team that already admitted it got worse without him.
"With Jonathan Greenard wanting a new contract the Vikings couldn’t afford, they decided to trade him to the Eagles during the draft. The move is a risk for the Vikings, who acknowledged that they are a worse team without him.
While Greenard notched just three sacks in 2025, he had 12-plus sacks in each of the prior two seasons. Now, the Vikings will be overly reliant on third-year edge Dallas Turner, a player looking to break out this season.
Even if trading Greenard was necessary, dealing good players to the Eagles is never the right move, especially for a Vikings team that wants to contend this season."
From Minnesota’s point of view, the financial logic is clear. Paying Greenard $25 million per year, as he’s getting in Philadelphia, would have boxed the franchise in. The Vikings also have a major quarterback expense coming next offseason, whether that ends up being Kyler Murray or someone else.
They do have cheaper edge options already on the roster. Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel can fill the role now, and together they cost the Vikings $23.5 million in 2026.
Greenard’s 2025 season also gave Minnesota some cover. He dealt with injury concerns and didn’t produce like the player who posted at least 12 sacks in each of the previous two years. The Vikings need availability and affordability if they’re going to keep their future plans intact.
Still, there’s real downside here. If Turner doesn’t take the step the Vikings need after what he showed in his rookie season, that becomes the first crack in the plan. Minnesota also has to make the Eagles’ third-round picks count, including safety Jakobe Thomas, whom the Vikings selected this year with Philadelphia’s 98th overall pick.
If this gamble goes sideways, new general manager Nolan Teasley will be the one left to clean it up.
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Caleb Banks Redraft Reopens A Tough Vikings Draft Debate
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A Sports Illustrated 2026 draft redo only sharpened the debate, projecting Banks all the way down to the Chiefs at No. 29 instead of keeping him in Minnesotas spot. It is the sort of sliding-door scenario that underscores why Banks has always felt like a high-risk, high-reward selection, and why training camp will matter so much for a Vikings team still trying to figure out whether it got a future difference-maker or a difficult miss. [Read more 🡒]