Minnesota Vikings officials have notified two veteran players they face release when the NFL’s new league year begins unless the team finds trading partners, according to an ESPN report published Sunday.
Running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave received word from the organization about their potential departure, which would take effect March 11 at 4 p.m. Eastern Time when the new league year officially starts.
The Vikings would gain significant financial relief by parting ways with both players, freeing up $7.75 million from Jones’ contract and $10.9 million from Hargrave’s deal.
According to Spotrac’s calculations, Minnesota faces a challenging salary cap situation, currently sitting approximately $44.35 million above the 2026 season’s official limit of $301.2 million.
Jones, who turned 31, contributed 548 rushing yards across 132 attempts during the most recent season, finding the end zone twice on the ground through 12 games as a starter. His receiving statistics included 28 receptions for 199 yards and one touchdown.
The veteran back earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2020 and has accumulated 7,626 career rushing yards with 52 ground touchdowns over 126 games split between Green Bay (2017-23) and Minnesota.
Hargrave, 33, recorded 52 tackles and 3.5 quarterback sacks across 16 appearances (15 starts) in his debut season with the Vikings in 2025.
The defensive lineman has earned two Pro Bowl selections throughout his career, compiling 432 total tackles and 49.0 sacks across 146 games (130 starts) while playing for Pittsburgh (2016-19), Philadelphia (2020-22), San Francisco (2023-24), and Minnesota.
