According to Tom Pelissero, the Vikings are restructuring the contracts of WR Justin Jefferson and LT Christian Darrisaw to create cap space.
Minnesota is currently $46.67 over this year’s salary cap and still must free up a lot of money off the books. Simple restructures of Jefferson and Darrisaw’s contracts will create $18.01 million and $9.24 million, respectively, per OverTheCap.
Darrisaw, notably, ended the 2025 season on injured reserve due to a knee injury.
Jefferson, 26, was a two-year starter at LSU and set the single-season record for receptions in 2019 before being selected by the Vikings with the No. 22 overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Jefferson played out the fourth year of a four-year, $13,122,805 rookie contract, including a $7,103,858 signing bonus. The Vikings picked up Jefferson’s fifth-year option which will cost them $19,743,000 fully guaranteed for the 2024 season.
He was set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2025 when he signed a four-year, $140 million extension with a record $110 million in guarantees.
In 2025, Jefferson appeared in all 17 games for the Vikings and recorded 84 receptions on 141 targets for 1,048 yards (12.5 YPC) and two touchdowns.
Darrisaw, 26, was a three-year starter at Virginia Tech and was named first-team All-ACC in 2020. The Vikings drafted Darrisaw with pick No. 23 overall in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
Darrisaw signed a four-year, $13,346,141 contract with the Vikings that included a $7,066,284 signing bonus. The Vikings exercised his fifth-year option in 2024, worth $16.037 million guaranteed for the 2025 season, before signing him to a four-year, $113 million extension this offseason that included up to $77 million guaranteed.
In 2025, Darrisaw appeared in 10 games and started each of them at left tackle.
Looking for the latest NFL Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow NFL Trade Rumors on X.com and FACEBOOK for breaking NFL News and Rumors for all 32 teams!
