The Philadelphia Eagles moved quickly on the second night of the NFL draft Friday, acquiring edge rusher Jonathan Greenard from the Minnesota Vikings in exchange for two third-round picks, then immediately signing him to a four-year, $100 million extension that includes $50 million in guaranteed money.
Philadelphia sent the No. 98 pick in this year’s draft and a third-rounder in 2027 to Minnesota. The Eagles also received a 2026 seventh-round pick in the deal. Greenard passed his physical Friday night and attended the Celtics-76ers NBA playoff game in Philadelphia before the night was over.
What drove the deal on both sides
The Eagles had been searching for a top-end pass rusher all offseason. They prioritized re-signing Jaelan Phillips before free agency opened, but he signed a four-year, $120 million contract with the Carolina Panthers that exceeded Philadelphia’s offer. The team also held conversations with Trey Hendrickson before making two mid-level depth signings in Arnold Ebiketie and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
Greenard fills a more prominent role than either of those additions. With Nolan Smith and Jalyx Hunt already in the rotation, he slots in as the clear top option off the edge for a defense coordinated by Vic Fangio. His ability to pressure the quarterback, hold up against the run and occasionally drop into coverage makes him a natural fit for Fangio’s scheme.
Eagles general manager Howie Roseman acknowledged the team had been in contact with Minnesota throughout the offseason. After meeting with his staff Thursday night following the first round, he said they decided to move forward with the deal. Greenard, who turns 29 in May, had 38 career sacks across six seasons with the Houston Texans and the Vikings.
A shoulder injury clouded his value, but the numbers still held up
Greenard was one of the NFL’s more productive pass rushers before a shoulder injury cut his 2025 season short, requiring surgery after Week 15. He had recorded at least 12 sacks in each of the two seasons prior, and even with only three sacks last year, his pressure rate of 13.5% ranked seventh in the league.
His contract with Minnesota carried a $22.3 million cap number for 2026 and a $19 million cash salary. He and his agent had been seeking a pay increase that would put him among the 10 highest-paid edge rushers in the league. The Vikings, managing a $46.6 million cap crunch entering the offseason, were not in a position to meet that number.
Interim general manager Rob Brzezinski was direct about the team’s financial constraints, saying the organization had spent heavily in recent years and needed to find a more sustainable path. Minnesota will save $12.25 million in cap space with the trade and avoids paying any of Greenard’s cash salary.
What changes in Minnesota and what stays the same
Dallas Turner, a first-round pick in 2024, had already begun to show what he could do late in the 2025 season after Greenard went down. He finished with eight sacks over that stretch and will now move into the starting role opposite Andrew Van Ginkel. Rookie Jake Golday, drafted at No. 51 on Friday, is expected to serve as a backup.
Brzezinski acknowledged the trade did not make Minnesota a better team in the short term and understood that some fans would have expected more in return for a player of Greenard’s caliber. The Vikings also used the No. 98 pick on former Miami defensive back Jakobe Thomas later Friday, giving them an immediate return on the draft capital they received.
Minnesota also has at least one remaining premium pick the team is expected to use on the defensive line or at the edge, an area that will need reinforcement now that Greenard is gone.
The Eagles are betting that the player who recorded 12.5 sacks and made the Pro Bowl in his first season in Minnesota is closer to that version of himself than the one who played through a shoulder injury last year. For $100 million, they are counting on being right.
