The Vikings Release Allen and Hargrave

The Vikings announced they will be releasing Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave after only one season with the team. The two interior defensive linemen signed for a combined $50M in guarantees just a year ago.

(Michael Reaves/GettyImages)

This will probably go down as one of the most overhyped and overpaid dual signings in Minnesota Vikings history. The hype around the two well-known and respected defensive tackles sparked confidence and excitement from a fanbase that had been lacking an elite guy in the middle since Linval Joseph’s departure after the 2019 season.

The former 2x Pro Bowlers combined for 7 sacks, 11 TFLs, and 130 tackles. For comparison, Vikings DT Jalen Redmond — who spent time in the UFL before joining the team in 2024 — put up 6 sacks, 12 TFLs, and 62 tackles himself. Redmond completely stole the job from the former Pro Bowlers and solidified himself as the Vikings’ starting defensive tackle and the future of Minnesota’s interior defensive line.

Even Levi Drake Rodriguez, the Vikings’ 2024 seventh-round pick, ate this season with 2 sacks, 8 TFLs, and 43 tackles.

On paper, Allen and Hargrave were not bad, but nowhere near the $50M in guarantees and $80M total they collected from the Vikings over a single season.

In the end, the Vikings will have two young defensive tackles on their roster going into 2027 who played extremely well in Redmond and Drake Rodriguez. The unfortunate part is they are still feeling the harm done by former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah after handing out huge contracts to older veterans that simply ended up being terrible deals.

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