After winning 13 games only to be summarily dismissed in the playoffs by the Giants, the Minnesota Vikings now have to trudge through the data and determine who they afford to bring back for the 2023-24 season. Some of the decisions general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell will have to make involve popular players who are aging and expensive.

Harrison Smith carries a $19.2 million cap hit in 2023, according to Over The Cap. According to Pro Football Focus, Smith just had the second worst season of his career, ranking 29th among all safeties who were on the field for at least 610 snaps.

Did Smith struggle because he’s lost a step or was it more the result of playing in defensive coordinator Ed Donatell’s shell coverage that led to the Vikings giving up the most passing yards in the NFL?

With Josh Mettellus earning a captain’s badge and ranking No. 1 by PFF among safeties who played at least 244 snaps this season, not to mention his $1 million cap hit in 2023, Smith’s future in Minnesota does not appear to be on solid ground.

On the other side of the ball, Adam Thielen carries a $19.9 million cap hit next season, which is the 13th highest among wide receivers and just a sliver behind Stefon Diggs. Will the Vikings pay that in Thielen’s age-33 season after coming off a year in which he averaged just 42 yards per game?