This offseason, Minnesota will have a tough time making a lot of moves. That’s because of the 2021 base salary cap.
Like releasing TE Kyle Rudolph and LT Riley Reiff, the Vikings have made several decisions in order to free up 2021 salary cap space already.
Now, the team is apparently discussing another move, according to multiple reports. Wideout Adam Thielen and the Vikings are in initial discussions about restructuring, which could save more than $8 million, per Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio. That report was corroborated as true by the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling.
As Goessling reported, the move would be something like converting Thielen’s base salary into a signing bonus in order to save cap space. The team has done something similar in the past with DE Danielle Hunter and LB Eric Kendricks. The Vikings would push the cap hits into future years, per Goessling.
As it stands, the Vikings have $9.3 million in 2021 cap space, per Over the Cap, though the team could get more space by restructuring with LB Anthony Barr and Thielen. Minnesota needs enough money to sign draft picks and free agents in a year where the team will most likely be right up against the salary cap. Making moves with Barr and Thielen would certainly help.