In a fairly stunning move, the Vikings are trading defensive tackle Harrison Phillips to the Jets for a 2026 sixth-round pick and a late-round pick swap in 2027, according to multiple insiders.
Trade! The #Vikings are sending veteran NT Harrison Phillips to the #Jets for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick and a swap of picks in 2027, per sources. pic.twitter.com/u6Utwc3Dvj
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 20, 2025
Phillips had two years left on the contract extension he signed prior to last season. As part of the trade, the Vikings are paying half of his 2025 salary, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
As part of the Jets-Minnesota trade, the Vikings agreed to pay $3.7 million of Harrison Phillips’ $7.4 million salary this season, per source. So the Jets get a defensive tackle and some savings to boot. https://t.co/PR14dNlkvx
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 20, 2025
Phillips, 29, has started all 53 games for the Vikings (playoffs included) since signing with Minnesota in GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's first free agent class in 2022. He was a team captain last season who was a respected leader in the locker room and on the field. Phillips was set to enter this season as the Vikings' starting nose tackle alongside new additions Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
Instead, he returns to the AFC East, where he began his career with four seasons with the Buffalo Bills, who drafted him in the third round out of Stanford in 2018.
This move must signal that the Vikings feel quite confident in their depth at the defensive tackle position. In addition to Allen and Hargrave, they also have Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and rookie Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins ready to go as part of their rotation. They've also been impressed by undrafted rookie Elijah Williams, who signed after attending rookie minicamp as a tryout player.
Again, this is a complete surprise. There had been no rumors that Phillips was being shopped or anything along those lines. When he sat out of Wednesday's Vikings practice, it was assumed to be due to injury.
One of the Vikings' defensive leaders — and perhaps their most involved player in off-the-field community efforts — is gone less than three weeks before the start of the season.
This is a developing story...