Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman celebrates throughout a Christmas Day showdown in opposition to the Inexperienced Bay Packers, energizing the group after a key defensive sequence. Cashman emerged as certainly one of Minnesota’s most vital defenders following his arrival in 2024 free company. Captured on Dec. 25, 2025, the second displays his ardour and management. Necessary Credit score: YouTube.
Minnesota Vikings proper deal with Brian O’Neill is due for a contract extension — and he might not be the one one. Linebacker Blake Cashman’s deal expires after 2026, too, and a few rumblings counsel that he may keep in Minnesota past this season.
Cashman is a central determine in Brian Flores’s protection, that means Minnesota might pony up the money to protect the established order.
Cashman’s Manufacturing Provides Vikings a Clear Extension Case
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman celebrates after a key defensive cease throughout a divisional sport in opposition to the Detroit Lions at U.S. Financial institution Stadium. On Dec. 25, 2025, Cashman energized the house crowd with one other impactful play, persevering with a standout season as certainly one of Minnesota’s best defensive leaders. Necessary Credit score: Matt Krohn-Imagn Photos.
A Cashman Extension Makes Sense
Many of the contract extension focus from followers will heart on O’Neill, however don’t neglect 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 in the past, a transfer that continues to be close to the highest of former basic supervisor Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s accomplishments.
Cashman’s Numbers and Impression in Minnesota
Flores can undoubtedly proceed to construct a protection round Cashman, and the Vikings ought to acknowledge his worth as such. Since becoming a member of the Vikings, Cashman has began 27 video games, accumulating 256 tackles, together with 129 solo stops, 14 tackles for loss, 14 QB hits, 6.5 sacks, 10 passes defended, an interception, and a compelled fumble.
His Professional Soccer Focus grades additional assist Cashman’s efficiency. In 2024, throughout 947 snaps, he earned a 72.0 defensive grade, with spectacular marks of 76.3 in run protection, 72.0 in cross rush, and 62.1 in protection. Though his general grade barely decreased to 63.6 in 2025, his tackling grade considerably improved to 83.4, and his run protection remained robust at 75.4. All of that makes him a super match for Flores’ defensive scheme — or any protection, actually.
Final season, Cashman recorded 144 tackles in simply 13 video games. Projecting that tempo over a full 17-game season would lead to roughly 188 tackles, inserting him ninth all-time in NFL historical past for a single season.
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman is pictured throughout a sport in opposition to the Inexperienced Bay Packers at U.S. Financial institution Stadium. On Dec. 29, 2024, Minnesota’s protection compelled a turnover that security Camryn Bynum recovered, serving to swing momentum in a rivalry matchup with main playoff implications late within the season. Necessary Credit score: Dan Powers-USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin through Imagn Photos.
Cashman’s capacity to rapidly diagnose performs, aggressively assault downhill, present strong protection, excel as a blitzer, and keep defensive cohesion makes him a quintessential Flores linebacker. He’s that good, and it simply is sensible to extend his keep.
SI.com‘s Will Ragatz famous on Cashman final 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 one knock on Cashman is that he misses a few month per season because of accidents.
What an Extension Would Realistically Look Like
Lewis referenced Franklin’s deal in Inexperienced Bay, and that’s most likely not too far off. The easiest off-ball linebackers rake in $20 million per season, so to counsel Cashman would deserve any lower than $10 million will not be rooted in actuality.
Minnesota, in fact, will take into account his age, as 30-year-old (or older) linebackers sometimes don’t enhance. Nonetheless, Cashman is 30, not 35, and a two- or three-year deal feels acceptable.
And the Vikings can afford Cashman at $10 million per season. He’s nicely value it.
If Not, It’s Golday Time in 2027
Suppose, for a second, that Cashman is on his manner out, and no contract extension involves fruition this summer time. He’d hit free company in March, and the Vikings would press the full-time button on Golday. Minnesota used a 2nd-Spherical decide on Golday, and that’s remarkably excessive for an inside linebacker. Golday might have some EDGE versatility, however popping out of Cincinnati, he was listed as an off-ball linebacker.
Vikings linebacker Jake Golday seems throughout a Cincinnati Bearcats Soccer function interview targeted on this system’s offseason preparations. On Aug. 8, 2024, Golday mentioned his improvement, duties, and objectives as Cincinnati continued fall camp, with coaches evaluating contributors forward of the upcoming school soccer season. Necessary Credit score: Cincinnati Bearcats Soccer-YouTube.
It’s more likely that Golday will finally take over for Eric Wilson, however as a result of the membership has “too many” good linebackers, Golday as a succession plan for Cashman can’t be dominated out, even when it’s that unlikely.
Maybe Golday would take over for Cashman if Cashman’s asking value was too massive.
Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … Extra about Dustin Baker
