Vikings Pop Up in the Joey Bosa Rumor Mill

The Minnesota Vikings might need a little bit of help at outside linebacker, Joey Bosa remains a free agent, and Bleacher Report believes the two parties could square dance.

Minnesota has in-house EDGE options, but Bosa’s profile keeps him relevant in the Vikings rumor mill.

The Vikings said goodbye to Jonathan Greenard four weeks ago, creating a void on the edges of the defensive line. Perhaps Bosa could be the special sauce.

Veteran Pass Rush Option Remains Available

Bosa is one of several veteran EDGEs on the free-agent wire waiting for contracts.

BR: Vikings Make Sense as Landing Spot for Bosa

Alex Kay examined the NFL’s top remaining free agents, and Bosa got a nod.

He wrote, “Perhaps most importantly to his prospects for 2026 and beyond, Bosa played nearly two-thirds of Buffalo’s defensive snaps. Considering he hadn’t logged a snap share higher than 54 percent since 2021, it was promising to see the once injury-ravaged defender return to playing a key role for a quality defense.”

“Working against Bosa is a glut of serviceable edge rushing talent lingering on the open market, but the 2016 Defensive Rookie of the Year stands as a cut above his unemployed peers.”

Kay then named the best landing spots, “Whether a team plans to use him as a rotational depth option or a higher-volume starter, Bosa still provides enough speed, power and skill to move the needle for any defense ahead of his 11th NFL season. Potential Landing Spots: Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, San Francisco 49ers.”

That’s a who’s who of NFC combatants for Bosa, who’s never played outside the AFC, believe it or not.

Bosa’s Career Production

Bosa entered the pros in 2016 — yes, that long ago — and here’s his production in the last 10 seasons:

And his Pro Football Focus history:

His destination resume:

• Los Angeles Chargers (2016–2024)
• Buffalo Bills (2025)

Bosa has been named to the Pro Bowl five times and led the NFL in forced fumbles in 2025.

The Price

NFL free agency kicked off in early March, and Bosa is still waiting on his 2026 marching orders. He may be one of those players who latches onto a new roster later in the summer, perhaps even ducking the grueling sessions of training camp. Veterans are often afforded that luxury if they have five-time Pro Bowl clout — like Bosa.

He won’t be cheap for his next team. The Vikings or a different EDGE-needy team can likely sign Bosa to a one-year deal worth $10 million to $15 million. Bosa’s value may drop the longer he stays on the free-agent wire, but he’ll never be gettable for pennies. He’s still productive.

The Vikings, meanwhile, have about $11 million in cap space in late May after signing all nine rookies from the April draft class.

Golday, Richter, Batty?

If the Vikings don’t trade for or sign another pass rusher in free agency, they still have several in-house options behind Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner.

Rookie Jake Golday is a prime example. While Minnesota drafted him as an off-ball linebacker, he played some EDGE in college before moving inside at Cincinnati. Brian Flores could utilize Golday in a role similar to Van Ginkel’s, blending outside linebacker duties with off-ball work.

Flores also has two undrafted outside linebackers in Bo Richter and Tyler Batty. Either player could potentially step up and contribute as a third outside linebacker (OLB3). If that happens, Minnesota might bypass the veteran market entirely.

As a contingency, the team could turn to free agency for a non-Bosa candidate, where a notable list of pass rushers remains available, including Denico Autry, Derek Barnett, Jadeveon Clowney, Marcus Davenport, A.J. Epenesa, Leonard Floyd, Cameron Jordan, Von Miller, Haason Reddick, and Kyle Van Noy.

Bosa will turn 31 this summer; he’s not ancient in NFL terms.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker