MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings cleared salary cap space taken by their failed strategy for contending last season, releasing defensive linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave on Wednesday one year after those veterans were a prominent part of a free agent spending spree.
The Vikings also made the procedural move of releasing safety Harrison Smith with a post-June 1 designation to clear space under the cap and on the roster, with the six-time Pro Bowl pick still mulling whether to return for a 15th season in the NFL. The Vikings would re-sign Smith if he decides to continue playing.
The moves with Allen and Hargrave will clear more than $21 million off the cap, if Allen is designated for post-June 1 release, and cost the Vikings a little more than that in dead money, according to calculations by Over The Cap. Another part of the 2025 free agent wave, center Ryan Kelly, recently announced his retirement.
Hargrave immediately agreed to a two-year, $23 million contract with $10.5 million guaranteed with rival Green Bay, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.
The Vikings got the best of both worlds with a revised contract for running back Aaron Jones, who agreed to lower his base salary for more guaranteed money, Rosenhaus said. The move will clear $3.4 million off the cap for Minnesota.
Allen and Hargrave serve as stark reminders of the failed plan led by since-fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to let Sam Darnold leave and turn over the quarterback position to J.J. McCarthy while spending big at other positions. The Vikings are searching for a veteran to compete with or beat out McCarthy, with Kyler Murray the most obvious candidate following his release by the Arizona Cardinals.
The Vikings committed more than $345 million in cash to their roster last season, the most in the NFL. Allen and Hargrave didn’t make enough of an impact in defensive coordinator Brian Flores ’ system to match their cost, a two-year contract with $17 million guaranteed for Hargrave and a three-year deal with more than $23 million guaranteed for Allen. Both players were released by their previous teams as well.
Hargrave played in 16 games for Minnesota after his 2024 season with San Francisco was cut short by a torn triceps suffered in Week 3. Allen played in all 17 games for Minnesota after missing half of the 2024 season with Washington because of a torn pectoral. But they were both overshadowed by rising standout Jalen Redmond on the interior. Hargrave had 3 1/2 sacks and six quarterback hits. Allen had 3 1/2 sacks and 11 quarterback hits.
Jones had a career-high 1,138 rushing yards in his Minnesota debut in 2024 after spending his first seven seasons with rival Green Bay, providing a valuable boost of energy, experience and leadership. But he wasn’t able to stay as healthy in 2025, playing in only 12 games and finishing with a career-low 4.2 yards per rush. The Vikings have struggled to get their rushing attack going in four seasons under coach Kevin O’Connell.
They have been predictably much quieter on the market this year, with former Pittsburgh cornerback James Pierre the only addition from another team to date.
The Vikings re-upped with linebacker Eric Wilson and Redmond to retain two key pieces of the starting lineup on defense and also brought back long snapper Andrew DePaola as well as some depth and special teams players: safety Tavierre Thomas, edge rusher Bo Richter and running back Zavier Scott.
Wide receiver Jalen Nailor (Las Vegas) and punter Ryan Wright (New Orleans) have departed.
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FILE - Pittsburgh Steelers running back Kenneth Gainwell (14) is tackled by Minnesota Vikings nose tackle Javon Hargrave (97) during the NFL football game in Dublin, Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Ian Walton, File)
FILE - Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Jonathan Allen stands on the sideline during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, Dec. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he is holding off on a military strike on Iran planned for Tuesday because “serious negotiations” are underway to end the war.
“There seems to be a very good chance that they can work something out. If we can do that without bombing the hell out of them, I’d be very happy,” Trump said at the White House on Monday evening, after first making the announcement in a social media post.
Trump said he had planned “a very major attack” but put it off — “for a little while, hopefully, maybe forever." He said America’s allies in the Gulf asked him to wait for two to three days because they feel they are close to a deal with Iran.
Trump has been threatening for weeks that the ceasefire reached in mid-April could end if Iran did not make a deal, with shifting parameters for striking such an agreement. Over the weekend he warned, “For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them.”
The president has repeatedly set deadlines for Tehran and then backed off. But he’s also previously indicated he would hold off on military action to allow talks to continue — only to turn around and launch strikes. That’s what happened at the war’s outset, when he ordered strikes in late February shortly after indicating he would let talks play out.
Trump said the current pause for negotiations was a “very positive development," while acknowledging there were times in the past when a deal seemed close but nothing came of it. “But this is a little bit different,” he said.
The president, who had not previously disclosed that he was planning a strike for Tuesday, did not offer details about the planned attack but said in his social media post he had instructed the U.S. military “to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached.”
Trump said he was calling off the attack at the request of allies in the Middle East, including the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Iran and allied Shiite militias in Iraq have launched drone attacks targeting the Gulf Arab states in the war. The United Arab Emirates has recently accused Iran of launching drone and missile attacks despite the ceasefire. On Sunday, a drone strike sparked a fire on the edge of the UAE's sole nuclear power plant in what authorities called an “unprovoked terrorist attack” while not assigning blame.
Trump in recent days has also spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Chinese President Xi Jinping about the Iran war.
Trump’s post quickly caused a fall in the price of oil, which had been rising on the prospect of a prolonged standoff that would keep the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed.
Minutes before the president’s announcement, petroleum futures had been trading at $108.83 a barrel. His word about negotiations almost instantly shaved more than $2 off the price, but it crept up again and ended on Monday at $107.25 a barrel.
Shortly after Trump’s post, Iranian state TV called it a “retreat” based on “fear” in its broadcast ticker and on its X account.
It reported earlier that defense systems were activated late Monday on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. It added the situation was “under control” there, the largest Iranian island in the Persian Gulf, home to about 150,000 people and a water desalination plant.
Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the shipment of oil, gas, fertilizer and other petroleum products. The U.S. is blockading Iranian ports and has redirected 85 commercial vessels from mid-April through Monday, U.S. Central Command said in a social media post.
Earlier Monday, Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the immediate concern of the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran was keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, but Iran’s nuclear program remained a central issue.
Speaking during a joint news conference with his German counterpart in Berlin, Fidan said much of Iran’s enriched uranium that could potentially be used for a nuclear weapon was buried under collapsed tunnels following attacks in June that the U.S. launched with Israel. The U.S. has said it is closely monitoring any movements around the stockpile.
“At present, there isn’t a situation that poses a real threat," Fidan said. “But for this to continue, the parties must reach and conclude a nuclear negotiation among themselves.”
The Turkish minister said he believes Iran is not opposed in principle to complying with nuclear conditions, but added: “the question is what will be given in return, in what order, and under what conditions.”
With talks at a standstill last week, Iran's foreign minister said Friday that a lack of trust was the biggest impediment to negotiations.
Iran, which says its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, was said to have included some nuclear concessions in its latest proposal to end the war. But Trump dismissed the proposal as “garbage."
Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Darlene Superville in Washington, Giovanna Dell’Orto in Minneapolis and Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey, contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump speaks about prescription drug prices in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House campus, Monday, May 18, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Bakhtiari nomads, wearing traditional dress, hold their guns during a pro-government gathering near the residence where former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, shown on a banner, was killed in U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, in Tehran, Iran, Monday, May 18, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
President Donald Trump gestures to reporters as he walks across the South Lawn of the White House, Friday, May 15, 2026, in Washington, on return from Beijing where he met with China's President Xi Jinping. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
