Vikings' 41-Game Starter Floated as Roster-Cut Candidate

According to Minnesota Star Tribune beat reporter Ben Goessling, Ingram may see his 2025 cap hit raised from $3.7 million to $5.2 million, and the Vikings may be unwilling to pay him that much.

"Ingram, 26, lost his starting job in 2024, but he’d be in line for an even higher cap number in 2025, thanks to the NFL’s Proven Performance Escalator program that would raise his base salary to $5.2 million for 2025," Goessling wrote on Feb. 13. "It seems highly unlikely he’d return at that number; the Vikings would take on only $385,000 of dead money if they cut him."

The Vikings' interior offensive line was exposed by the Los Angeles Rams in a first-round playoff loss. Minnesota allowed a playoff record nine sacks as Sam Darnold was under duress often.

Minnesota is expected to overhaul its trenches -- especially if they plan to roll with J.J. McCarthy.

That leaves little doubt that the Vikings will try to find better guards to install into the offensive front.

Whether Ingram factors in as a depth piece remains to be seen, but given the potential bump in salary, cutting ties with him may prove to be the wiser decision.

According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Ingram allowed 102 pressures from 2022 to 2023 -- the most by any guard in the league. Ingram had surrendered five sacks and 24 pressures in nine games before he was benched in Week 11.

He has started 41 games in his career.