Coming next month, another episode of which Minnesota Vikings veteran will be cut.

The Vikings are again in salary cap hell, currently over the 2022 cap ceiling by $14.5 million, per OverTheCap. Last year, the Vikings cut veteran left tackle Riley Reiff to create enough cap space to reload the team’s defense.

In 2020, Minnesota saw a mass exodus of five defensive starters leave for free agency in the wake of Kirk Cousins‘ two-year, $66 million contract extension.

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If the Vikings keep Cousins on the final year of that contract, Minnesota may once again have to shed cap weight elsewhere by mid-March to begin retooling the roster — or at the very least get out of the hole the old regime dug the franchise.

Appearing on the Sportrac podcast, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin speculated which veterans could be casualties this offseason — spoiler alert: they’re gut-wrenching decisions.

 

Pro Bowl Trio Among Potential Trade Candidates in 2022

Looking over the Vikings books on the Sportrac podcast, Cronin speculated that getting Minnesota in a healthy financial space should be the first move made by new general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

She revealed that Pro Bowlers Adam Thielen, Harrison Smith and Danielle Hunter are candidates to be traded or cut this offseason.