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EspañolIt’s a big offseason for the Minnesota Vikings.
A year after rolling out an offense with second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, the team is looking for answers at the most important position in sports. The defense is aging with needs at multiple levels that standout coordinator Brian Flores can’t completely paper over. All of this with the team sitting $46.48 million over the 2026 salary cap, per OverTheCap data. Only the Dallas Cowboys are in a more dire cap space situation.
Minnesota may have to get creative to free up money and make moves to address its needs. We learned today that could come via trade.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the franchise is open to trading edge rusher Jonathan Greenard.
Vikings are now open to trading Pro Bowl edge rusher Jonathan Geeenard, per sources.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 3, 2026
They would like to keep Greenard, but they also have salary cap issues they’re working through that have led to these trade conversations. pic.twitter.com/kLRO73aFOz
Greenard, 28, had a down year by his standards in 2025 after making his first Pro Bowl in 2024. A shoulder injury ultimately cut his season short and required surgery. He managed three sacks in 12 games - a drop-off from his 12 sacks in 17 games in 2024.
The Houston Texans drafted Greenard in the third round, No. 90 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Louisville. He came into his own in 2023 with a career-high 12.5 sacks for the Texans before signing the following offseason with Minnesota.
The 2024 season may be a more representative performance than the 2025 season. There will certainly be teams interested in the productive veteran edge rusher. Here are five spots he could potentially land in 2026:
Jonathan Greenard landing spots
Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore has a new head coach and overall staff under Jesse Minter but one thing remains the same: the Ravens desperately need help off the edge, especially with proven players.
Greenard is a longer, lighter edge rusher at 6-foot-3 and 259 pounds. If Minter wants to implement a similar system to the one he used with the Chargers in recent years, that could be a good fit. Baltimore won’t have to bank so much on Mike Green taking a big step in year two or try to get the most out of a veteran free agent.
The Ravens have some cap space, so it would take some work to get Greenard’s money under the cap in 2026. They’re projected to have 11 draft picks in April, which could interest Minnesota. They could also offer a younger player on defense, like T.J. Tampa, at cornerback to help the Vikings at a position of need.
Cincinnati Bengals
Another AFC North team could be in the conversation for Greenard’s services. Zac Taylor’s seat is getting hotter than ever this season as the rest of the division has had a changeover at head coach.
Cincinnati has money to spend and needs to turn this defense around to take advantage of one of the league's more talented offenses. Doing so could involve a combination of free-agent spending and trading for immediate-impact veterans. Al Golden needs more proven players after trying to operate a defense with two rookie linebackers in 2024.
The Bengals have less draft capital than Baltimore to offer Minnesota in return for Greenard’s services. They could instead offer a player at a position of need to sweeten the deal. Defensive lineman Kris Jenkins could use a change of scenery; Oren Burks could provide Minnesota with proven linebacker depth, a key position in Flores’ defense.
New York Jets
Like Taylor in Cincinnati, Aaron Glenn’s seat is hot entering 2026. The staff under him looks a lot different than it did in 2025 and pressure will be on for the team to make some changes.
New York has plenty of draft capital. General manager Darren Mougey could use some of that on a productive edge rusher instead of waiting to see if one falls to them in the draft. The team just traded away Jermaine Johnson II and could use more help off the edge. Greenard matches the physical profile of some of the other edge rushers on the roster.
With the fourth-most salary cap space in the league, New York could easily fit his contract in for 2026. They wouldn’t have the depth pieces to help make this deal work that Cincinnati or Baltimore could offer but 11 selections in April’s NFL Draft could be a good place to start.
Philadelphia Eagles
Change could be on the horizon for the Eagles this offseason, even on defense. Edge rusher Jaelan Phillips and linebacker Nakobe Dean are both hitting free agency. Secondary pieces Reed Blankenship and Adoree’ Jackson are as well. There’s also the possibility of an A.J. Brown trade looming over the roster.
Philadelphia may end up not wanting to fork over the money Phillips may command in free agency. If so, acquiring a proven veteran with a stockpile of draft picks could ensure the team doesn’t slip from the top of the NFC East.
The Eagles are in a separate tier when it comes to manipulating the salary cap compared to the rest of the league. If they want to make it work, Howie Roseman and company have the track record to do it.
Philadelphia has extra picks in the middle rounds they could ship over to Minnesota for Greenard, especially if they take on his full compensation - or close to it - for 2026.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Todd Bowles’ defense is facing serious questions in 2026. Starters Lavonte David, Haason Reddick, Logan Hall and Jamel Dean are all hitting free agency. Depth pieces are hitting the open market as well across the defense.
Greenard is a fit play-style wise and would be a bump up from Reddick. Tampa Bay is ready to contend now in an NFC South that is annually a free-for-all. His timeline for entering his age-29 season could align with the rest of the roster. The Buccaneers are middle-of-the-pack in cap space with $19.96 million entering the offseason. They’d have to move some around to make the financials work or take on less of Greenard’s salary for the year. If so, that could cost a higher draft pick.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jonathan Greenard best fits: Top trade landing spots for Vikings star