RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/4/26
More teams made tender/non-tender decisions on restricted and exclusive rights free agents today. Here are the latest updates:
RFAs
Non-tendered:
- Buccaneers: S Christian Izien, RB Sean Tucker
- Commanders: K Jake Moody
- Cowboys: G Brock Hoffman
- Patriots: CB Alex Austin
Before taking a backseat to second-year safety Tykee Smith this year, Izien served as a major contributor for the Bucs secondary. In his first two years as an undrafted player out of Rutgers, Izien started 14 of 31 game appearances, logging 140 total tackles, three interceptions, and two forced fumbles. Meanwhile, Tucker made himself a bowling ball in the redzone this year, recording a team-leading seven rushing touchdowns on just 86 attempts. His 320 rushing yards were third in Tampa Bay’s running backs room behind Bucky Irving (588) and Rachaad White (572).
ERFAs
Tendered:
- Browns: TE Brenden Bates, WR Malachi Corley, LB Winston Reid, LS Rex Sunahara, K Andre Szmyt, WR Jamari Thrash
- Cowboys: CB Reddy Steward
- Lions: K Jake Bates
- Panthers: WR Jalen Coker, WR Brycen Tremayne
- Vikings: DT Jalen Redmond
While Moody seemingly continues to struggle to stay employed after getting draft in the third round three years ago, Bates and Szmyt will get another go around in Detroit and Cleveland.
Vikings To Release DT Jonathan Allen
Faced with a tight 2026 salary cap picture, the Vikings are making some tough roster decisions before the new league year. They are expected to release defensive tackle Jonathan Allen, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
Minnesota will see $6.5MM in savings as a result of the move with $17.3MM in dead money, according to OverTheCap. A post-June 1 designation would increase the savings and push more dead money into 2027, but that money would not be available until that date. The Vikings are currently more than $46MM over the 2026 cap, so they will need to process the move right away to get closer to cap-compliance.
Allen, 31, was released by the Commanders last offseason after eight seasons in Washington. He signed a three-year, $60MM deal with the Vikings shortly thereafter and will now depart having seen $23.5MM of that money for just one year’s work.
Allen still had $8MM in guaranteed 2026 salary on his deal, so he will be available to sign with a new team for the veteran minimum. That will strengthen his market after two straight down years. He logged just 6.5 sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 2024 and 2025 after posting at least 5.5 sacks and 10 TFLs in his previous three seasons, two of which featured Pro Bowl nods. Allen will still be one of the more proven defensive tackles in free agency, and he can be signed right away without affecting the compensatory pick formula, which further adds to his appeal.
The Vikings also released defensive tackle Javon Hargrave this week, but they have several young players ready to step up in the trenches, per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Among them are Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake Rodriguez, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, though only Redmond and Rodriguez made an impact. 2025 undrafted free agent signing Elijah Williams could also push for more playing time after making the 53-man roster as a rookie, but Minnesota may still look for a more experienced DT to round out the unit.
Vikings ‘Open’ To Trading Jonathan Greenard; Team Seeking Day 2 Pick?
11:23pm: Greenard is seeking a raise over his $19MM salary, according to Albert Breer of SI.com. The Vikings are “comfortable” with Greenard’s current deal, but they could move him for a “big offer,” Breer adds.
1:26pm: Although outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard is only halfway into a four-year, $76MM contract, the cap-strapped Vikings are “open” to dealing him, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports. Teams are of the belief the Vikings want a Day 2 draft pick in return, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
At approximately $46.49MM over the salary cap, the Vikings are mired in the second-worst financial situation in the NFL. The forthcoming releases of running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave will clear around $18.65MM from their books in 2026. Finding a taker for Greenard before June 1 would save the Vikings another $12.25MM, though they would also absorb a $9.9MM dead money charge.
Moving on from Greenard would help the Vikings get under the cap, but it would also deprive the team of one its best defenders. With that in mind, the Vikings would prefer to keep Greenard, according to Schefter. The former Texan had a tremendous debut with Minnesota in 2024, when he posted his first 17-game/start campaign and notched 59 tackles, 22 QB hits, 18 TFL, 12 sacks and four forced fumbles.
Greenard earned his lone Pro Bowl nod in his first year in Minnesota, though left shoulder troubles contributed to a noticeable drop in production last season. The 28-year-old totaled 38 tackles, 12 QB hits, 10 TFL, three sacks and a forced fumble over 12 games (10 starts). The Vikings shut him down in favor of season-ending surgery in mid-December.
“It was something he was playing through,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said at the time. “He knew he would not be able to put this behind him until probably he got it fixed, whenever that was going to be.”
Greenard will aim for a healthy rebound season in 2026, though it is now up in the air whether he’ll be in a different uniform by then. If he goes elsewhere, the Vikings would continue to rely on Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel as key pass rushers.
Vikings Expected To Pursue Kyler Murray
The Cardinals are expected to part ways with Kyler Murray, but he is unlikely to be out of a job for long. The NFL’s quarterback carousel will ensure that the former No. 1 pick has multiple suitors, with the Vikings expected to be among them.
Minnesota is exploring alternatives to J.J. McCarthy this offseason, but they are doing so with a very tight salary cap picture. That makes Murray especially appealing, as he will be available for the veteran minimum with Arizona still paying out his remaining guaranteed salary.
Indeed, the 28-year-old is “at — or near — the top of the Vikings’ list,” according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. Though the team is not completely out on McCarthy, they are also open to adding a clear, instant upgrade as opposed to competition for the starting job.
Murray would fall into the first category with 87 starts and two Pro Bowls under his belt. He has spent much of the last four years injured, but put up a solid performance in 2024, his only fully-healthy season since 2020. After seeing Sam Darnold and Daniel Jones parlay stints with the Vikings into starting jobs elsewhere, Murray will likely be open to, if not interested in throwing passes to Justin Jefferson in Kevin O’Connell‘s offense.
Success with Murray could set him up for a multi-year payday, similar to refurbished passers like Darnold and Baker Mayfield. The Vikings opted not to retain Darnold after he led them to a 14-3 record in 2024, but their waning faith in McCarthy and change at general manager could lead them down a different path with Murray. Minnesota could decline McCarthy’s fifth-year option next offseason – making him a potential reclamation project for another team – and, like the Buccaneers with Mayfield, charge into the future with their new veteran quarterback.
Colts, Daniel Jones Still Discussing Deal; Vikings ‘Closely Monitoring’ QB
As the clock ticks toward Tuesday’s 3 p.m. CT tag deadline, the Colts and pending free agent quarterback Daniel Jones are continuing to negotiate a long-term contract, Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports reports. If an agreement doesn’t come together by then, Indianapolis is expected to place either the $43.39MM franchise or $37.8MM transition tag on Jones.
As of Sunday, the Colts and Jones were not close to reaching a deal. The team is reportedly leaning toward using the transition tag on Jones. Taking the less expensive route may give the Colts a better chance to retain their other top pending free agent, wide receiver Alec Pierce. However, they would be at far greater risk of losing Jones.
The Colts would have up to five days to match an offer for Jones, but if they passed on doing so, the signing team would not have to give up any draft compensation. Jones would be able to take offers all the way up to the third week in July. With most offseason business long over by then, It would likely be a catastrophic outcome for the Colts to lose him that late.
In all likelihood, nobody will tender an offer to Jones if the Colts go the franchise route. Doing so would force a team to part with two first-round picks for a quarterback who has been inconsistent throughout his seven-year career. If that isn’t prohibitive enough, Jones is recovering from a December Achilles tear. The former Giants first-rounder enjoyed his best season before then, but the injury dinged his stock.
Four days after the Giants waived Jones in November 2024, the Vikings added him to their practice squad. Jones finished the season with the Vikings, but he did not see any game action. Sam Darnold, who revived his career that season, was the Vikings’ starter during a 14-win outburst. Although Jones was down on the depth chart, he and Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell developed a “mutual respect” during their short time together, according to Jonathan Jones.
Darnold and Jones became free agents the next offseason. Even though Darnold led the Vikings to a playoff berth, they had 2024 first-rounder J.J. McCarthy waiting in the wings. Re-signing Jones was reportedly a higher priority for the Vikings than keeping Darnold, but they wound up losing both signal-callers.
Jones turned down a better offer from Minnesota to sign with Indianapolis for $14MM. He saw an easier path to playing time in Indianapolis, where only disappointing 2023 first-rounder Anthony Richardson stood in his way. It was a good decision by Jones, who beat out the injury-prone and inaccurate Richardson for the starting job. Richardson requested a trade last month, though he has not encountered a strong market.
Meanwhile, McCarthy dealt with his own injuries and performance issues in a 10-game first season as a starter. The Vikings went 9-8 and missed the playoffs. The team has not given up on McCarthy, but it will consider other options as it attempts to rebound in 2026. There is at least a small chance of a reunion with Jones.
The Vikings are “closely monitoring” his situation in Indianapolis, per Jonathan Jones. They could pounce if the Colts don’t place a tag on the QB, Jonathan Jones adds. However, it is unlikely Daniel Jones will reach the market unfettered. If he does, the Vikings would have to win a bidding war. It would be an especially difficult task for a team that is a projected $45.51MM over the salary cap as of now.
Colts QB Anthony Richardson Requests Trade; Mutual Vikings Interest?
MARCH 2: Richardson does not have a strong trade market at this point, SportsBoom’s Jason LaCanfora reports to no surprise. NFL general managers and evaluators predicted Richardson’s value would be a Day 3 pick, with a fifth-rounder mentioned as the potential best-case scenario from the Colts’ perspective.
FEBRUARY 26: Signs continue to point to Anthony Richardson playing elsewhere in 2026. The embattled quarterback has requested a trade, James Boyd of The Athletic reports. 
To little surprise, ESPN’s Stephen Holder adds the Colts have given Richardson’s camp permission to seek a trade. The former No. 4 pick’s value will not be particularly high given how his NFL career has played out so far. Nevertheless, the lack of established QBs on the market this offseason could lead to at least some interest.
When speaking at the Combine yesterday, Colts GM Chris Ballard offered praise for Richardson. The 23-year-old has only made 15 starts and 17 appearances during the regular season so far. An orbital bone fracture kept Richardson sidelined through the end of the 2025 campaign, although Ballard said he has now been cleared for football activities. Boyd confirms Richardson has regained full vision in his right eye.
That will be a welcomed development for all involved, but it remains to be seen how many teams will be willing to proceed with a trade acquisition in this case. In December, a trio of NFL staffers pegged Richardson’s value at a fourth-round pick (the cost paid by the Cowboys when they acquired Trey Lance). A deal along those lines would obviously represent a massive disappointment for Indianapolis, but it would pave the way for Riley Leonard to handle backup duties in 2026. Of course, the Colts are in the midst of negotiations on a new Daniel Jones contract to ensure he remains atop the depth chart moving forward.
As for potential Richardson landing spots, Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network points to Minnesota as one to watch. He reports there is a mutual interest between the Vikings and Richardson. Kevin O’Connell has established a track record of quarterback development during his time as Minnesota’s head coach, and taking on another reclamation project would make plenty of sense. Given J.J. McCarthy‘s struggles so far, the Vikings are expected to bring in competition under center this spring.
That could entail pursuing a more experienced option on the open market like Kirk Cousins or Derek Carr. Alternatively, the Vikings could look at Richardson as a buy-low candidate capable of winning the QB1 gig for 2026 while McCarthy develops. Richardson has one year remaining on his rookie contract and he is set to carry a cap charge of $10.82MM in 2026. A trade would essentially create an even split of that figure between cap savings and dead money for the Colts.
Vikings Considering Kyler Murray, Geno Smith; Team Interested In Tua Tagovailoa?
We have been hearing for some time that the Vikings plan to add competition for quarterback J.J. McCarthy this offseason. During a recent appearance on the Scoop City podcast, Dianna Russini of The Athletic threw cold water on the notion that a Minnesota-Kirk Cousins reunion could be in the cards, though she did acknowledge that the Vikes could look to add to their QB room (video link).
Russini reiterated Minnesota still wants to develop McCarthy in the hopes that he can live up to his first-round draft status, and ESPN’s Dan Graziano likewise confirms the Vikings are not ready to give up on the Michigan product. Still, the club seems to want to make McCarthy earn the starting job in 2026, and in addition to Cousins, names like Kyler Murray and Anthony Richardson have been floated as possibilities.
There may be mutual interest between the Vikings and Richardson, who would be acquired via trade with the Colts. As ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted last month, a trade could be the most likely way for Minnesota to add McCarthy competition, because a free agent with options may not want to sign without assurances that they will be given first crack at the QB1 role. Other trade possibilities, per Graziano, include the Eagles’ Tanner McKee and the Texans’ Davis Mills.
Mills was linked to the Vikings in a November report, just like Murray was. Graziano says signs continue to point to a Murray release, which means he will be a free agent in short order (and therefore may not want to hitch his wagon to a team that still has high hopes for its incumbent starter).
Just as Arizona is likely to cut Murray, the Dolphins are expected to release Tua Tagovailoa in the near future, with Graziano confirming the cut will likely be made with a post-June 1 designation. With respect to their possible free agent targets, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (in the same Graziano piece linked above) reports the Vikings have Murray and the Raiders’ Geno Smith in their first tier of preferred options, with Cousins and Tagovailoa in the second tier.
Smith, though, may not make it to the open market. As our Nikhil Mehta recently suggested, it may behoove the Raiders to retain Smith as a mentor for Fernando Mendoza, whom Las Vegas is all but certain to select with the top pick in this year’s draft. Per Graziano, coaches from multiple QB-needy outfits are anxious to see if the Raiders will release Smith, as they believe the 35-year-old was held back by the Silver-and-Black’s offensive system in 2025. The Raiders may feel the same and could therefore keep Smith in the fold.
If they do choose to part ways, Fowler believes the Vikings make plenty of sense as a landing spot. He adds that many quarterbacks view Minnesota as an attractive destination, likely due to the presence of head coach Kevin O’Connell and wide receiver Justin Jefferson (though again, it is possible that McCarthy and Minnesota’s hopes for him could act as something of a deterrent).
It still seems fair to expect the Vikings to add a QB. Whether they can lure a high-profile player like Murray or Tagovailoa or will need to execute a trade for a passer like Mills or McKee is the question.
Vikings To Release RB Aaron Jones, DT Javon Hargrave Barring Trade
If the Vikings are unable to trade running back Aaron Jones or defensive tackle Javon Hargrave by the start of the 2026 league year on March 11, they will release those players, as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. Jones’ release would generate $7.75MM of cap space, and cutting Hargrave would free up an additional $10.9MM.
We heard last week that Minnesota is shopping Hargrave in the hopes of shedding his salary and earning some form of draft compensation. The 33-year-old signed a two-year, $30MM contract last March, and $4MM of his $14.2MM base salary for 2026 is guaranteed. While a release would generate notable cap savings, it would also create $10.5MM of dead money, so it is easy to see why the Vikes prefer a trade.
In his first (and apparently only) season in Minnesota, Hargrave started 15 games and registered 3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. Since the rest of his 2026 salary does not lock in until September, the club does have some time to work out a deal, but it sounds as if it wants to act quickly here. After all, as of the time of this writing, the Vikes are roughly $45.5MM over the cap, per OverTheCap.com.
Jones, 31, just finished his second Vikings campaign. After enjoying perfect attendance in 2024, the longtime Packer played in just 12 games in 2025 due to a hamstring injury, and his performance dipped across the board. He ended the year with 132 carries for 548 yards and two touchdowns, adding 28 catches for 199 yards and a score. His 4.2 yards-per-carry rate was the lowest of his career.
Still, teams with an RB need will surely be interested in Jones’ services, particularly since he has a track record of significant contributions on the ground and through the air (though it is unclear whether a trade market will form). After parting ways with Jones, the only running back under Vikings control for 2026 will be Jordan Mason.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert views defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and center Ryan Kelly as other potential cap casualties.
2026 NFL Offseason Outlook Series
Pro Football Rumors is breaking down how all 32 teams’ offseason blueprints are shaping up. Going forward, the Offseason Outlook series is exclusive to Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers, and that link provides details on how to sign up for an annual membership.
Here are PFR’s 2026 rundowns of the 32 teams’ offseason blueprints:
AFC East
AFC North
AFC South
AFC West
NFC East
NFC North
NFC South
NFC West
Vikings Discussing Javon Hargrave Trade
The Combine serves a function for veteran players as well, with trade talks regularly commencing at the annual scouting event. One of the pieces available this year comes out of Minnesota.
The Vikings are shopping Javon Hargrave, veteran insider Jordan Schultz tweets, indicating the NFC North team has engaged in trade talks with the experienced defensive tackle. Minnesota signed Hargrave to a three-year, $30MM deal following his 2025 49ers release. That contract includes a partial guarantee for 2026.
Hargrave, who turned 33 earlier this month, is due $4MM guaranteed on his $14.2MM base salary. If the Vikings are unable to trade the 11th-year defender, The Athletic’s Alec Lewis notes lists him as an obvious cut candidate. If the Vikings release Hargrave, they will save nearly $11MM but will take on $10.5MM in dead money. A trade would create nearly $15MM in cap space, though the Vikes may need to pay down some of the D-tackle’s salary to facilitate a trade.
After stops with the Steelers, Eagles and 49ers, Hargrave started 15 games for the Vikings last season. Minnesota added proven vets on its D-line, also signing Jonathan Allen after his Commanders release. Hargrave, who missed 14 games in 2024, registered 3.5 sacks, four tackles for loss and a forced fumble last season. Pro Football Focus graded Hargrave fairly well, slotting him 36th overall among interior D-linemen.
It appears the Vikings are hoping that healthy Hargrave season will boost his trade value and allow for cap savings to emerge without a release. No guarantee trigger dates are in place for Hargrave this offseason; the rest of his 2026 salary will not lock until just before Week 1, giving the Vikings some time.
They would obviously need to move on soon if they want to use any savings toward free agency. A post-June 1 designation would divide Hargrave’s dead cap hit over two years, but the Vikes could not use those savings until June. Minnesota is projected to land $43MM-plus over the 2026 salary cap, giving the team considerable work to reach cap compliance by the start of the league year (March 11).
Minnesota has been active on its D-line over the past year, adding Allen and Hargrave and trading Harrison Phillips. The team received promising work from UDFA Jalen Redmond, who can be retained via ERFA tender next month. Allen’s three-year, $51MM deal includes an $8MM guarantee for 2026, offering the former first-rounder better protection (though, PFF ranked Allen 84th among interior D-linemen last season) Minnesota has recent Day 3 draftees Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (2025 fifth round) and Levi Drake Rodriguez (2024 seventh) rostered at the position as well.