Vikings to release 2 Pro Bowlers who may help 49ers' key depth issues

The Minnesota Vikings are set to release Pro Bowlers Javon Hargrave and Aaron Jones when the 2026 NFL league year opens in mid-March per ESPN's Kevin Seifert. The San Francisco 49ers should keep close tabs on the two pending free agents.

There's a key caveat that comes with the 49ers potentially bringing in players like Hargrave and Jones − former Pro Bowlers who are in their 30s and past their primes. They need to be added as depth pieces who shore up some of San Francisco's roster weaknesses instead of as solutions to significant problems.

San Francisco badly needs speed on offense. Jones doesn't necessarily help with that. However, he does give the 49ers a reliable veteran backup for Christian McCaffrey who can capably work in as a pass catcher. Jones has 351 receptions in 126 games as a pro. Jones wouldn't need to shoulder a heavy workload, but he has some familiarity with the Kyle Shanahan offense after spending time under Matt LaFleur in Green Bay. That should make the veteran a quick study who bolsters the 49ers' RB depth chart alongside 2025 draft pick Jordan James.

As for Hargrave, he wouldn't need to be a starter and every-down player the way he was during his first stint in the Bay Area. The 49ers do need some help rushing the passer from the interior and Hargrave should still have value as a rotational interior pass rusher since none of the 49ers young defensive tackles offer a ton in terms of pushing the pocket. It's probably not great if Hargrave has to play 60-plus percent of the snaps like he did during his two years with the 49ers. Last season he played 53 percent of the snaps for Minnesota and posted 3.5 sacks which would've ranked third among 49ers.

Neither Hargrave nor Jones should be players the 49ers are targeting for big-time production and playing time. They both offer enough as veterans to fill out a couple of areas on the margins for the 49ers, though. Bringing them in on inexpensive one-year deals would make a lot of sense as San Francisco searches for more reliable depth.

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This article originally appeared on Niners Wire: 49ers free agency targets: Vikings release Aaron Jones, Javon Hargrave