JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — When the 2026 free agency window officially opens next week, the Jacksonville Jaguars aren’t expected to be one of the more active teams.
Part of that reason is due to the Jaguars’ cap space, which still needs to be sorted by Jaguars general manager James Gladstone and his staff. The Jaguars can make several moves to get under the cap with ease, but they do not look like the model of a team ready to go on a spending spree.
But another reason could also be that the Jaguars have several big names set to leave in free agency this offseason such as Devin Lloyd and Travis Etienne, creating a chance for the Jaguars to take advantage of the compensatory pick formula.
One aspect of that formula could leave the Jaguars open to a specific type of free agent, though, and is now set to reportedly come available in the form of Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported on Sunday that Hargrave and teammate Aaron Jones are each expected to become cap casualties unless the Vikings find a trade partner over the next week or so. So while this does not mean Hargrave is available on the open market now, it is clear he soon will be.
“Vikings have informed running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave that, barring a trade, they will be released at the start of the league year this month. Jones’ release will save the Vikings $7.75 million against the cap, Hargrave’s $10.9 million,” Schefter said.
Hargrave, who will be 33 and in his 11th season next year, is far grom the game-changing kind of addition he looked like the first two times he was a free agent in 2020 and 2023. Years have passed since then, and injuries and Father Time have taken their toll as expected. With that in mind, Hargrave still has some value he can bring to a defensive tackle rotation, and he fits the mold the Jaguars need as an interior disruptor.
Even in his 10th season, Hargrave’s 9.8% pressure rate led the Vikings and would have led the Jaguars by a considerable amount. He is a bit past his prime, but he can still bring juice to a team’s interior pass-rush.
Most importantly, though, Hargrave would not count against the compensatory pick formula if he were released by the Vikings. He is the type of player the Jaguars should be interested in.
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