Jalen Redmond (61), pressuring Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts on Oct. 19, has been a bright spot on the Vikings defensive line. (Anthony Soufflé/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
“I do think there’s been some bright spots, like a Jalen Redmond continuously showing up on the tape, and I think Jonathan Greenard is doing a lot of really good things on the edge. A lot of those runs are going away from him, and he’s trying like crazy to chase some of those things down,” O’Connell said. “But what are we doing as far as setting edges? What are we doing as far as defeating blocks, playing the cutback, and then continuously trying to chase improvement from a tackling standpoint?”
Hargrave, who played at least 67% of the Vikings’ defensive snaps in three of their first four games, hasn’t exceeded 50% since, as Redmond plays a larger role. Redmond, who had nine pressures Thursday, is now at 64.6% of the Vikings’ defensive snaps for the season, compared with 49.9% for Hargrave. Redmond also leads the team with three sacks; the two former Pro Bowlers have two each.
A team that began the season talking about a stifling defense and supportive front for McCarthy has had neither. After missing five games because of injury, the 22-year-old quarterback is set to return for a division matchup against the Lions at Ford Field, where the Vikings haven’t won since 2021, hoping for his first consistent full game as an NFL starter.
If it all seems concerning now, the Vikings are heading toward critical decisions along both lines of scrimmage this offseason.
They have more than $347 million of cap commitments for next year, meaning they could need to cut more than $30 million of space by next March just to be cap compliant. The Vikings could save money on restructures for players like T.J. Hockenson and Aaron Jones, but many of their decisions could hinge on those they added along the lines of scrimmage.
Hargrave has a $21.49 million cap number for next year, and the Vikings would save $11 million by releasing him. Releasing Kelly, who’s played just three games because of concussions this year, would mean a $7.89 million cap savings. Allen’s deal would have $17.33 million of dead money if the Vikings cut him, and the team would save only $4.28 million with a release, so he might have a stronger chance to stay. If the Vikings slide, though, and appear headed toward a larger roster reset in 2026, it’s hard to rule anything out.