Former Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen may not remain a free agent for long.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler, Allen is set to visit the Minnesota Vikings as the NFL’s legal tampering period begins in free agency. ESPN’s Kevin Seifert noted that the Vikings have lacked a dominant interior defensive lineman under defensive coordinator Brian Flores, making Allen a logical fit. Allen also has a history with Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell, who previously coached in Washington.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Allen was originally drafted 17th overall by Washington in 2017 after an All-American career at Alabama. The Commanders released him on March 17, clearing $16.35 million in cap space as he entered the final year of a four-year, $72 million extension he signed in 2021.
Washington quickly replaced Allen by signing former 49ers and Jets defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw to a three-year, $45 million deal. Allen, one of the league’s top interior defensive linemen, spent most of his career on struggling teams. Before 2024, his only playoff appearance came in 2020 when Washington made the postseason with a 7-9 record, only to lose to the eventual Super Bowl champion Buccaneers.
Allen made Pro Bowls in 2021 and 2022, recording 127 tackles, 16.5 sacks, 36 tackles for loss, and 47 quarterback hits during that span. His and Daron Payne’s contracts were among the final remnants of the Commanders’ previous ownership under Dan Snyder, with the team investing $162 million in two defensive tackles.
Now, with Payne, Kinlaw, and second-year player Jer’Zhan Newton, Washington boasts one of the deepest defensive tackle groups in the NFL.
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