How much salary cap space do the Vikings have left to work with?

The Minnesota Vikings have been very busy during the opening week of NFL free agency, signing eight players to sizable new contracts while also filling out their roster with some important depth pieces. Here's a summary of what they've done so far, as of Friday evening.

• Re-signed RB Aaron Jones (2 years, $20 million)
• Signed CB Isaiah Oliver (2 years, $11 million)
• Signed C Ryan Kelly (2 years, $18 million)
• Re-signed CB Byron Murphy Jr. (3 years, $54 million)
• Signed DT Jonathan Allen (3 years, $51 million)
• Signed G Will Fries (5 years, $88 million)
• Signed DT Javon Hargrave (2 years, $30 million)
• Signed CB Tavierre Thomas (1 year, $2 million)
• Restructured S Harrison Smith (1 year, $10.25 million)
• Traded G Ed Ingram to Texans for 2026 sixth-round pick
• Signed T Justin Skule (TBD)
• Signed LB Eric Wilson (TBD)

So after all that, how much salary cap space do the Vikings have left for future additions?

More than you might think. All of these contracts are back-loaded and come with relatively small 2025 cap hits. The top seven names on the list above have combined cap hits of just around $41 million next season. The Ingram trade also freed up $3.4 million.

As a result, the Vikings are estimated by Over the Cap to have roughly $30 million in current effective cap space. That's with Smith being on his old $6.5 million cap hit, but even if that jumps up to $10.25 million, the difference will basically be offset when Garrett Bradbury is released or traded (which will clear up $3.6 million). It also doesn't factor in Thomas, Skule, or Wilson, who will likely decrease the number by just a combined $5-6 million when considering the top-51 rule.

So let's estimate that the Vikings have around $25 million in functional cap space at this very moment. That's still plenty of room to make additional moves, especially when you consider how many avenues there are to create even more space. For example, the Vikings could free up another $20 million simply by restructuring Brian O'Neill's contract and signing Andrew Van Ginkel to an extension.

What other additions might be in store for Minnesota? They need to sign a quarterback, whether that means going down the chaotic Aaron Rodgers path or adding a traditional backup. They could use another veteran at cornerback (bringing back Shaq Griffin could be an option). They could also use another wide receiver (they hosted Rondale Moore for a visit on Friday). Even beyond those ideas, you can never have too much depth across the board. Look for GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and company to keep filling out the roster.

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