The Minnesota Vikings are in salary cap hell, and that could be good news for a bunch of NFL teams. That list includes the Washington Commanders.
Productive veterans like Aaron Jones, Javon Hargrave, and Jonathan Allen will be released. But the biggest prize will be edge rusher Jonathan Greenard.
Greenard is not likely to be cut. The Vikings have made it clear they will listen to trade offers, and a rumored bidding war is already brewing. Corbin Smith of the Emerald City Spectrum revealed that half the league has already been in contact with the Vikings, including the Seattle Seahawks.
The veteran's possible fit in Washington seems obvious. But how much will general manager Adam Peters be willing to give up to patch one of the biggest holes in his defense?
Commanders don't have the capital to get into a bidding war for Jonathan Greenard
Greenard had thrived under DeMeco Ryans’ aggressive scheme with the Houston Texans, and he did even better playing for Brian Flores in Minnesota. However, he was slowed by a shoulder injury in 2025, playing in just 12 games, and his production fell off. But he turns 29 this May and is expected to be fully healthy for the 2026 season.
The rumor mill immediately identified Washington as a potential landing spot. The Commanders are in desperate need of pass rushers, and a previous connection could make the move worthwhile.
Greenard is ideally suited to play outside in a 3-4 front. The Commanders’ new defensive coordinator, Daronte Jones, coached the former Florida Gator for the last two seasons in Minnesota. He should know better than anyone how to get the best out of him.
But with the entire league in need of pass rushers, this is far from a sure thing.
If a bidding war develops as reported, the price could quickly rise too high for Peters. Washington is trying to dig out of the draft capital deficit created by the trades for Laremy Tunsil, Deebo Samuel Sr., and Marshon Lattimore. The general manager would certainly be willing to pay to acquire a talent like Greenard, but there is a limit.
The San Francisco 49ers, another team rumored to have a lot of interest, has six picks in the first four rounds of this year’s draft. Peters currently has just two. It would be very hard to outbid a team like this if the price starts to climb.
There is also Greenard’s history of nagging injuries to consider. He has never had a chronic, ongoing problem, but dating back to his college years, he has missed a fair number of games with one thing after another. That seemed to be settling down during his two outstanding seasons in 2023 and 2024, but it reared up again last year.
Even with those injuries, Greenard would be an excellent addition to the Commanders' defense.
He is a natural pass-rusher with the physical tools and instincts to consistently harass the quarterback. Greenard has built himself into a decent run defender as well. Though he may not be ideally suited to play defensive end in a 4-3 front, the 3-4 that Jones seems to favor would be perfect.
Peters will almost certainly make a couple of calls. He will gauge the market and perhaps even overbid to acquire a player like Greenard. But if the reports about significant interest from elsewhere are true, it’s hard to imagine Washington will land its possible target.
It’s a very tantalizing possibility, but Commanders fans should not hold their breath.