Nolan Teasley Makes First Major Move as Vikings GM, Hands Out $96 Million Contract

Right tackle Brian O’Neill isn’t going anywhere after all.

GM Nolan Teasley has made a few moves since taking over as the top decision maker in the Twin Cities. None compare to what he just did with the O’Neill contract. The news broke moments before Teasley stepped in front of the media alongside Kevin O’Connell.

Coach O’Connell referred to O’Neill as a “pillar.” He’s now a much richer pillar.

Check out ESPN’s Adam Schefter with the details: “Compensation update: Vikings have signed OT Brian O’Neill to a four-year, $96 million contract extension. He now is under contract to Minnesota for the next five years.”

Nolan Teasley Gets Deal Done with RT1 Brian O’Neill

Chosen at No. 62 in the 2018 NFL Draft, Brian O’Neill has proven to be an amazing success.

The former tight end has always been a great athlete. What wasn’t certain, at least initially, was whether he needed some time to be brought along slowly as he acclimated to the ruggedness of NFL football. He very quickly had to get inserted into the lineup, though, due to injury. He quickly proved capable of being a strong option for the Vikings.

For a little while, O’Neill felt like an oasis in the desert. The Mike Zimmer years never involved Minnesota having a strong offensive line, an ironic detail given the former coach’s emphasis on running the football. O’Neill often found himself as the lonely competent blocker up front.

Since then, there has been a pile of resources poured into the offensive line. Christian Darrisaw got snagged with a 1st. So did Donovan Jackson. Blake Brandel was a 6th who has since found his way into starting lineup as the center. At right guard, the well-compensated Will Fries is locking down the top job. Based on the effort to build up the trenches, the Vikings should — should — be very good.

Better yet, depth options such as Caleb Tiernan, Michael Jurgens, Walter Rouse, and Gavin Gerhardt have all demanded draft picks. Somebody such as Ryan Van Demark arrived in the Twin Cities after getting stolen away via RFA contract.

Brian O’Neill is among the foremost leaders on the Vikings’ roster. Other guys stand out as being excellent in this regard — safety Josh Metellus is awesome; C.J. Ham was a top leadership voice prior to retiring — but O’Neill is indisputably among the top few most respected voices on the team.

The coming days are going to bring added clarity on what the finances look like after the extension. Much digital ink was spilled about the possibility of clearing up north of $14 million in cap space. At minimum, expect short-term breathing room.

What’s of interest, though, is what the commitment looks like beyond 2026.

Brian O’Neill is now very likely to finish his career as a Minnesota Viking. He’s probably going to see his #75 jersey retired inside of U.S. Bank Stadium. Seeing him push Minnesota toward winning a Lombardi — as far off as that possibility appears — would fully secure his spot as a Vikings legend.

Mr. O’Neill is going to turn 31 on September 15th.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.