Every NFL team needs affordable players who outperform their contracts, especially those squads truly contending for the Super Bowl. The Minnesota Vikings aspire to those very stakes in 2026, and we are thus here to document the top bargain players on the 2026 roster.
As always with bargain- or value-based player lists, we did not include players on rookie contracts because they’re widely considered affordable.
Here’s the pecking order, ranked from good to great bargain (No. 1 = top bargain).
Vikings’ Best Contract Values Are the Meal Ticket
5. Blake Brandel | C
2026 Cap Hit: $4.5M
Brandel plays every position on the offensive line, and it seems head coach Kevin O’Connell will ask Brandel to be his starting center in 2026. Brandel’s versatility is invaluable — he’s already played tackle, guard, and center for the Vikings since joining the franchise in 2020.
Whether he morphs into a solid center remains to be seen, but his $4.5 million cap hit is team-friendly, no matter what. If he stinks at center, O’Connell can yank him back into the jack-of-all-trades role.
It’s also worth noting that Brandel is eligible for an extension, which could arrive as early as this summer.
4. Eric Wilson | LB
2026 Cap Hit: $4.1M
Wilson produced Pro Bowl numbers — out of nowhere — in 2025 after the Vikings signed him away from the Green Bay Packers. Fans thought he would play special teams and be a depth asset if Blake Cashman or Ivan Pace Jr. got hurt.
Instead, he became a starter by October, stealing Pace Jr.’s job.
Wilson led the NFL in sacks and quarterback pressures by an off-ball linebacker. Accordingly, Minnesota re-signed him in March. A $4.1 million cap hit is worth it to see if Wilson was a one-hit wonder.
3. Jauan Jennings | WR
2026 Cap Hit: $9.5M
Before Jennings signed in the Twin Cities, the who’s who of NFL reporting claimed that he wanted “WR2 money.” Well, that can climb all the way up to $30 million. Ask Christian Watson of the Packers, who just snagged an extension worth $28 million per season.
Minnesota paid Jennings $9.5 million for the upcoming season. When the Jennings-to-Minnesota rumor mill kicked up dust, many wondered if the Vikings could afford him under $20 million. The price is half that.
The Vikings have not spent luxuriously at WR3 in years; Jennings provides them with their best WR3 option in eons. A steal of a deal.
Star Tribune‘s Michael Rand on Jennings and the Vikings’ WR room: “Any trio of Vikings receivers has a good starting point with Justin Jefferson. He has been in the conversation for the best receiver in the NFL for several years. He’s still part of that chatter even after struggling to make an on-field connection with J.J. McCarthy last season.”
“Add in Jordan Addison, who was very good in 2023 and 2024, and newcomer Jauan Jennings, who has approached 1,000 yards in the past with the San Francisco 49ers, and it is a formidable group. All three are at least capable of being above-average starters, with Jefferson of course having a higher ceiling. Jennings is listed at 6-3, 212 pounds and looks every bit of that.”
It’s not outrageous to claim Minnesota now has a Top 3 corps in the NFL.
“The Vikings haven’t had a receiver that big and physical in quite some time. He’s a very capable (and willing) run blocker who plays with an edge. He’ll also be motivated to have a big season while playing on a one-year contract,” Rand continued.
“All three of Jennings, Addison and Jefferson, in fact, should be motivated this season and their styles should be a good complement to each other. That’s what makes this potentially the best Vikings receiver trio in more than a quarter-century.”
2. James Pierre | CB
2026 Cap Hit $2.9M
Pierre was a best-kept secret in Pittsburgh, firing up a PFF grade over 86.0 in 2025. Minnesota hired Gerald Alexander from Pittsburgh to replace defensive passing game coordinator Daronte Jones, who picked the Washington Commanders as his next employer (defensive coordinator). Alexander is bringing Pierre with him.
The Vikings paid Jeff Okudah $2.36 million in 2025 for his underwhelming CB3 services. Pierre at $2.9 million is quite the change of pace. A welcome one.
1. Kyler Murray | QB
2026 Cap Hit: $1.3M
Not only is Murray at $1.3 million for a season the best deal in the NFL, it might be the top value in all of sports — assuming he plays at his peak level in 2026.
The Arizona Cardinals decided to move on from Murray, and like Sam Darnold in 2024, Minnesota has a chance to pounce on supreme value at the most important position on a football team. It’s still mind-boggling that Arizona kicked him out — and that he wound up in Minnesota a few days later. It could be a turning point in Vikings history.
