The Minnesota Vikings have reportedly made decisions on running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Vikings plan on releasing both players by the start of the new league year, assuming they can't find a trade partner for them beforehand.
"Sources: Vikings have informed running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave that, barring a trade, they will be released at the start of the league year this month," Schefter reported.
Why Vikings are releasing Jones, Hargrave
There are a few reasons why the Vikings are making these moves. The main driving force is the need for cap space.
Minnesota is a whopping $45.5 million over the cap. Releasing Jones and Hargrave will open up over $18 million in cap space for Minnesota, getting them closer to cap compliance.
While Jones has meant a lot to the Vikings' locker room, he was also set to account for a cap hit of $14.5 million in 2026 and he simply wasn't good enough to keep on the books for that price.
Adding to that, Jones is getting up there in age at 31 years old and struggled with injury in 2025, an issue that doesn't figure to get better the older he gets.
Hargrave is similarly long in the tooth at 33 years old and, like Jones, simply wasn't good enough last season to warrant keeping a $21.4 million cap hit on the books.
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