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The Minnesota Vikings did not want to wait around for the 2025 NFL Draft to add juice to the interior of their defensive line. The Vikings and two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Javon Hargrave agreed to terms Wednesday on a two-year, $30 million contract, according to a team source. The deal includes $19 million guaranteed.
Hargrave, the No. 11 player on The Athletic’s updated top 150 NFL free-agent rankings, played a career-low three games in 2024 after suffering a partially torn triceps injury that required surgery. While not initially ruled out for the season, Hargrave was one of several key 49ers starters who missed extended action during San Francisco’s disappointing 6-11 campaign.
The 49ers released Hargrave on Wednesday. San Francisco general manager John Lynch acknowledged in January the team would still be interested in a reunion. Hargrave was two seasons into the four-year, $84 million contract he signed in March 2023.
The 32-year-old has suited up for three teams — the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles and 49ers — since entering the league as a third-round pick out of South Carolina State in 2016. In 115 starts across 130 games, Hargrave has racked up 380 tackles, 55 tackles for loss, 45.5 sacks, eight pass breakups and four forced fumbles.
Minnesota has been busy adding to the trenches in free agency — agreeing to terms with center Ryan Kelly, guard Will Fries and defensive tackle Jonathan Allen as well as re-signing cornerback Byron Murphy III.
2025 impact
The additions of Hargrave and Allen raise a question about the future of interior defensive lineman Harrison Phillips, whom the Vikings extended last offseason. He excels as a run stopper, and his contract is not structured in such a way that the Vikings would be helped by moving on from him.
At the very least, Hargrave and Allen are likely to lessen Phillips’ snap count, which may benefit Phillips, who has shouldered a hefty workload the last two seasons. Phillips will be more confined to run-centric downs and distances, while Hargrave will play a bigger role in passing situations.
The difference Hargrave’s pocket pushing will make is potentially drastic. Among 277 qualified pass rushers in the last five years, Hargrave and Allen rank 45th and 89th in pressure rate, respectively. Phillips and former Vikings defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard ranked 236th and 275th, respectively.
Cap update
The Vikings have spent a major chunk of their cap space on the trenches. They paid Allen, Kelly, Fries and now Hargrave. Murphy, running back Aaron Jones and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers take up more of the franchise’s cap space, but the Minnesota brass has operated smartly.
Executive vice president Rob Brzezinski and Emily Badis, the senior manager of football administration, structured many of these contracts with low cap hits in the initial season. That leaves the Vikings with money to spend to secure special teams contributors and additional depth. The Vikings have also been mindful of their compensatory-pick standing, so any major addition — on players who were not cut — is unlikely.
Outlook
Hargrave gives the Vikings their most menacing defensive front in years. Durability becomes the most important facet for Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Hargrave and Allen. If they can stay healthy, the pass rush will be a force, further enhancing defensive coordinator Brian Flores’ options. The Vikings had the second-ranked defense in the NFL last year, according to DVOA, and that was without pocket-pushing personnel on the interior.
These signings don’t come with guarantees. Minnesota will be competing in a gnarly NFC North. The Lions and Packers should be formidable, and the Bears have improved. Fortifying the interior of the defensive line will matter late in the season, but the Vikings’ success in 2025 is still likely to rise or fall with quarterback play.
Required reading
• NFL free-agency rankings 2025: Top 10 players at each position
• Tracking all the moves made by Minnesota in free agency
(Photo: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
