Minnesota Vikings right tackle Brian O’Neill is due for a contract extension — and he may not be the only one. Linebacker Blake Cashman’s deal expires after 2026, too, and some rumblings suggest that he could stay in Minnesota beyond this season.
Cashman is a central figure in Brian Flores’s defense, meaning Minnesota may pony up the cash to preserve the status quo.
Cashman’s Production Gives Vikings a Clear Extension Case
A Cashman Extension Makes Sense
Most of the contract extension focus from fans will center on O’Neill, but don’t forget Cashman.
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis wrote Tuesday, “The Vikings owe Cashman $7.5 million in cash for this season, a figure comparable to what is owed to Derrick Barnes of the Detroit Lions and Alex Singleton of the Denver Broncos. Fellow Viking Eric Wilson, who is almost two years older, signed a three-year contract this offseason worth $22.5 million. Drafting second-rounder Jake Golday gives Minnesota a possible off-ramp.”
“However, replacing Cashman feels like a risky proposition. The Green Bay Packers recently inked Zaire Franklin to a two-year deal worth about $9 million in average annual value, perhaps a more realistic starting point to keep Minnesota-native Cashman at the center of Flores’ defense.”
Minnesota lured Cashman away from the Houston Texans two offseasons ago, a move that remains near the top of former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s accomplishments.
Cashman’s Numbers and Impact in Minnesota
Flores can undoubtedly continue to build a defense around Cashman, and the Vikings should recognize his value as such. Since joining the Vikings, Cashman has started 27 games, accumulating 256 tackles, including 129 solo stops, 14 tackles for loss, 14 QB hits, 6.5 sacks, 10 passes defended, an interception, and a forced fumble.
His Pro Football Focus grades further support Cashman’s performance. In 2024, across 947 snaps, he earned a 72.0 defensive grade, with impressive marks of 76.3 in run defense, 72.0 in pass rush, and 62.1 in coverage. Although his overall grade slightly decreased to 63.6 in 2025, his tackling grade significantly improved to 83.4, and his run defense remained strong at 75.4. All of that makes him an ideal fit for Flores’ defensive scheme — or any defense, really.
Last season, Cashman recorded 144 tackles in just 13 games. Projecting that pace over a full 17-game season would result in approximately 188 tackles, placing him ninth all-time in NFL history for a single season.
Cashman’s ability to quickly diagnose plays, aggressively attack downhill, provide solid coverage, excel as a blitzer, and maintain defensive cohesion makes him a quintessential Flores linebacker. He’s that good, and it just makes sense to prolong his stay.
SI.com‘s Will Ragatz noted on Cashman last week, “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.”
The only knock on Cashman is that he misses about a month per season due to injuries.
What an Extension Would Realistically Look Like
Lewis referenced Franklin’s deal in Green Bay, and that’s probably not too far off. The very best off-ball linebackers rake in $20 million per season, so to suggest Cashman would deserve any less than $10 million is not rooted in reality.
Minnesota, of course, will consider his age, as 30-year-old (or older) linebackers typically don’t improve. Still, Cashman is 30, not 35, and a two- or three-year deal feels appropriate.
And the Vikings can afford Cashman at $10 million per season. He’s well worth it.
If Not, It’s Golday Time in 2027
Suppose, for a moment, that Cashman is on his way out, and no contract extension comes to fruition this summer. He’d hit free agency in March, and the Vikings would press the full-time button on Golday. Minnesota used a 2nd-Round pick on Golday, and that’s remarkably high for an inside linebacker. Golday may have some EDGE versatility, but coming out of Cincinnati, he was listed as an off-ball linebacker.
It’s much more likely that Golday will eventually take over for Eric Wilson, but because the club has “too many” good linebackers, Golday as a succession plan for Cashman cannot be ruled out, even if it’s that unlikely.
Perhaps Golday would take over for Cashman if Cashman’s asking price was too large.
