3 Vikings Contract Extension Candidates Before the 2026 Season Begins

Now that Nolan Teasley has taken over as the Vikings' general manager, one potential item on his summer to-do list would be to get contract extensions done with a few key players who are entering the final year of their deals. All three of these players are integral pieces to Minnesota's puzzle and all three are exactly 30 years old at the moment, so they should still have some good football left.

LB Blake Cashman

Cashman is heading into the final season of the three-year, $22.5 million deal he signed with the Vikings as a free agent in 2024. The Eden Prairie native and former Gophers linebacker has been everything the Vikings were hoping for when they signed him, even if he's missed a few games due to injury in both of his seasons in Minnesota.

Cashman had an incredible 2024 campaign, recording 112 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 31 pressures, and 8 passes defended in 14 games. He followed that up with a 2025 that saw him rack up 144 tackles in 13 games, although his PFF coverage grade dropped and his pass rush production went down a bit as more blitz looks went to Eric Wilson.

Underrated nationally, Cashman is an excellent green-dot middle linebacker who defends the run at a high level and flies around the field as a tackler. The Vikings did draft Jake Golday in the second round this year, but the rookie profiles as a great complement to Cashman, not a replacement. Beyond Golday, there isn't much in the pipeline at off-ball linebacker, as the Vikings no longer seem to view Ivan Pace Jr. as a reliable three-down option.

OLB Andrew Van Ginkel

Another critical part of Brian Flores' defense, Van Ginkel is probably the Vikings' best player on that side of the ball now that Jonathan Greenard is no longer around. He was rewarded for his unbelievable 2024 campaign with a one-year, $23 million extension last offseason, but now he once again has no long-term security beyond this year. The Vikings should be looking to change that.

Van Ginkel is simply an irreplaceable, unique football player. He fits in Flores' scheme as well as any player fits into any scheme in the league. His instincts and versatility and all-around playmaking abilities aren't something that can be replicated, even if the Vikings may eventually try to train Golday in that same role. He turns 31 next month but hasn't shown any signs of falling off.

Van Ginkel's 2024 season speaks for itself. He finished seventh in DPOY voting and earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors after stuffing the stat sheet with 11.5 sacks, 50 pressures, 18 total TFL, 2 pick-sixes, 6 passes defended, and a forced fumble. He then missed five games last season but still finished with 7 sacks, 11 TFL, 10 PD, and a pick. Van Ginkel is a very good pass rusher and a ridiculously smart coverage player from the outside linebacker position. Especially with Greenard gone, the Vikings should be looking to keep "Gink" around for several more years.

RT Brian O'Neill

Neither Cashman nor O'Neill have been participating at recent Vikings OTA practices. Maybe they're dealing with some physically, or maybe they're protecting themselves in the hopes of landing a new contract soon. O'Neill is heading into the final year of a five-year, $92.5 million deal. His $23.1 million cap hit this year is the highest on the roster, and an extension could bring that down by pushing more money into the future.

O'Neill will be 31 in September, but he's been a model of consistency for the Vikings and has a well-rounded game that should age well. The two-time Pro Bowler has played in 124 of a possible 133 games since being drafted in 2018. He consistently earns very strong PFF grades in both pass protection and run blocking, which support the eye test. He's a leader and captain.

Vikings third-round rookie Caleb Tiernan could potentially replace O'Neill at right tackle in the future, but why let one of the most reliable players on the team wind up anywhere else?

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