The Washington Commanders released defensive tackle Jonathan Allen on March 7. Four days later, the former Alabama All-American had a new team — the Minnesota Vikings.

By releasing Allen with one season remaining on a four-year, $72 million contract, Washington sliced $16.471 million off its salary-cap obligations for the 2025 season. Allen already knew what was coming, so he’d done his homework.

“Once I was told by the Commanders that I wasn’t going to be re-signed,” Allen said on Wednesday, “me and my agent put together a list of five things that were important to us — the city, how great everything was for the wives, for the players’ families, obviously salary cap, team success, scheme, coaches and, honestly, culture. I think to have a good team and compete in the next level, you’ve got to have a good culture. And at the very top of that list was the Minnesota Vikings.

“So once I found out that there was a mutual interest there, I told my agent Blake (Baratz) that, unless something unforeseen happens, I mean, let’s go all in, let’s go for it. And I always like to say if you have two people who are level-headed and want to accomplish the same thing, you’ll get a deal done. So, yeah, we were able to get something done relatively fast and got this whole process over with so we can get started on the next chapter.”

In 2024, Minnesota had a 14-3 record in its third season under coach Kevin O’Connell, who was Washington’s quarterbacks coach in Allen’s first two NFL seasons and its offensive coordinator in his third.

“As far as culture, it’s not something that you can tangibly touch, but you can feel it,” Allen said. “Like, when something bad happens during the game, you look at the sideline for guys’ reactions. And I think it becomes pretty evident of a good culture and a bad culture and how different players and different people react during certain situations in the game. And I’m a firm believer of it’s really hard to win games in this football league. I mean, if you look at it, it can probably come down to five plays a game. And I think culture has a huge part of when those certain plays don’t go your way, how do you respond? Because it’s easy to turn one bad play into two or three bad plays and that could be the difference in the game.

“Also, the NFL is tough and it’s hard and nobody wants to come to work every day in an environment that is just not upbeat or no one’s excited to do the job. So, I mean, that was one of the biggest reasons why I chose this place. I know coach O’Connell from my time in Washington, and I think his reputation speaks for itself. And when I look at what he’s built here, it’s something that I want to be a part of.”

In Allen’s first seven seasons, Washington appeared in one playoff game. In 2024, the Commanders reached the NFC Championship Game for the first time since 1991, and Allen returned from a pectoral injury that caused him to miss nine games to start all three of Washington’s playoff games.

“It meant a lot,” Allen said. “I mean, in a weird way, I was so excited for the fans to be able to be excited about something and root for something positive and not always be the butt of the joke in the NFL. And it was just such an incredible experience. Obviously, we weren’t happy with the way it ended, but, man, I wouldn’t trade last year in for anything. And I’m looking forward to this upcoming season.”

Allen signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Vikings that included a $14 million signing bonus and $31.255 million in guaranteed money. The contract has another $9 million available in incentives.

The Vikings also brought in defensive tackle Javon Hargrave from the San Francisco 49ers via free agency for a two-year, $30 million contract.

“Whenever an organization brings you in and pays us the way they have,” Allen said, “I mean, there’s definitely a lot of, I don’t want to say pressure, but I put a lot of responsibility on myself to prove them right, in a sense. They don’t give contracts like this easily, so I think for me, my job is to go in there from Day 1, prove my worth to the fans and to the coaches for believing in me, and just go out there and one thing I can always say is that you’re going to get everything I got good, better and indifferent. So I’m looking forward to being able to go out there and just help this team continue to be the successful, dominant defense it has been.”

At Alabama, Allen swept the national Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2016 by winning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award. He won the SEC Defensive Player of the Year Award, the Rotary Lombardi Award as the nation’s best lineman and the Ted Hendricks Award as the nation’s best defensive end, too. Allen was a unanimous All-American in 2016, when he earned All-SEC selection for third season in a row.

Allen played three seasons at Alabama with another of Minnesota’s free-agent acquisitions. Center Ryan Kelly joined the Vikings after nine seasons with the Indianapolis Colts.

“He was a little bit older than me,” Allen said. “So, obviously, I had to learn the ropes when I first got to him, man. I mean, we talk about, obviously, we know what he can do on the field, but off the field, him and his wife are just great human beings and great people. And when you have a guy like that for a quarterback to be under center with, it just makes everything so much better. So I love him.”

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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X at @AMarkG1.