Jonathan Greenard, Vikings
Getty
Edge-rusher Jonathan Greenard of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings have an impressive three-man rotation at the top of the edge-rush room, a setup that will change if the team goes through with a trade for Jonathan Greenard as rumors suggest it might.
However, interim GM Rob Brzezinski said at the annual league meetings in Phoenix on Monday, March 30 that Minnesota wants to keep Greenard in the fold.
“He’s a really important player for us. Team leader. Team captain,” Brzezinski said, per Alec Lewis of The Athletic. “We want him to be a part of this organization moving forward. There’s economics involved. … We’re a much better football team with [Greenard on our team.”
Jonathan Greenard Wants Raise From Vikings Ahead of Next Season
Jonathan Greenard, Vikings
GettyMinnesota Vikings edge-rusher Jonathan Greenard.
The Vikings have been talking potential trades involving Greenard since the 2024 Pro Bowler requested a significant raise several weeks ago.
He is entering the third season of his current four-year, $76 million contract in 2026. The edge-rusher is apparently seeking a deal that will pay him in the vicinity of $30 million annually, a significant bump over the $19 million seasonal salary he makes now.
Teams such as the Philadelphia Eagles have expressed interest, though no reports have emerged of the two sides closing in on a deal. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN reported earlier this month that the Vikings were looking for a Day 2 draft pick in return for Greenard, which means the price is either a second-rounder or a third-round selection.
Greenard had a breakout campaign two years ago upon his arrival in Minnesota, producing 22 QB hits, 18 tackles for loss and 12 sacks and four forced fumbles. And while his traditional numbers dipped over just 12 games played in 2025 due to injury, Greenard remained meaningfully impactful in ways that show up only in advanced metrics.
He put up 47 pressures and 35 hurries in just 270 pass-rush snaps last season, which helped slot him in as the 31st-ranked edge defender out of 115 players at the position who saw enough snaps to qualify in 2025, per Pro Football Focus.
Greenard will play next season, his seventh in the NFL, at 29 years old.
Vikings’ Edge-Rush Room Will Be Thin on Depth if Team Trades Jonathan Greenard
Dallas Turner, Minnesota Vikings
GettyEdge-rusher Dallas Turner of the Minnesota Vikings.
The stalled negotiations around Greenard may just be simple negotiating tactics, as there is no reason for the Eagles, or any other of the several teams still in the market for an edge-rusher, to rush the process.
There are three elite pass-rushers in the upcoming draft, which begins on Thursday, April 23. Several veteran options also remain in free agency, all of which are likely to come at a lower annual cost than what Greenard makes now, and far less than what the raise he wants represents.
Any franchise that might deal for Greenard must consider his ask and factor in whatever extra amount they are willing to pay him as part of the trade cost, along with whatever pick the Vikings end up getting in return. Thus, the slower-moving process, and the potentially higher chance that Minnesota can reach some kind of compromise with Greenard to keep him.
If Greenard leaves, the Vikings will lack depth in the position group behind Andrew Van Ginkel and first-round pick Dallas Turner, who is entering his third NFL season. That isn’t ideal for a Minnesota defense that finished last season as the No. 3-ranked unit in football.
“I expect [Greenard] to be part of our team,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.