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The Vikings Have $19.5 Million Reasons to Do Something Controversial

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Vikings Place 2 Players on IR, Sign 2 New
Nov 13, 2022; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Minnesota Vikings tackle Brian O’Neill (75) congratulates Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) for scoring a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports.

To begin, an obvious statement: cutting RT1 Brian O’Neill would be an unexpected decision. Foolish, even. What can’t be completely dismissed, though, is the possibility even if there’s greater than a 99% chance he sticks around.

The Vikings have been making a variety of moves to get the finances in order. Most notably, there have been the decisions to move out DT Javon Hargrave (who doesn’t appear pleased), DT Jonathan Allen, and RB Aaron Jones. All good players who were moving toward beefy cap charges within a snug Minnesota budget. Even more fascinating is that EDGE1 Jonathan Greenard is said to be on the trade market, revealing that Minnesota’s front office isn’t scared of being bold.

The Vikings Have the Capacity to Cut Brian O’Neill for Huge Savings

Best case is an extension for Mr. O’Neill.

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The 2nd-Round selection from 2018 is a fantastic athlete. He got scooped up with the aim of bringing him along slowly, but he quickly proved capable of playing. Since his rookie season, O’Neill has been a mainstay on Minnesota’s offensive line. Portions of those Mike Zimmer years had O’Neill and not a ton else among the large lads protecting the passer.

Jan 4, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings guard Will Fries (76), offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (75) and fullback C.J. Ham (30) celebrate after a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

If anyone in Minnesota has earned a chance to lift the Lombardi, it’s Brian O’Neill.

The starting right tackle is moving into the final year of his contract. Left untouched, O’Neill’s cap charge is going to hit the books at $23,115,657. O’Neill, without question, is worth the number. He’s quietly among the NFL’s foremost blockers. A problem does arise, though, upon considering the broader context of Minnesota’s cap.

Consider how much can be saved with the expected cuts. Rough estimates are used for simplicity:

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  • Javon Hargrave: $11 Million
  • Aaron Jones: $7.75 Million
  • Jonathan Allen: $6.5 Million

Combined, the Vikings are liberating above $25 million with these cuts. Good progress, to be sure, but not enough to handle the entire $46,675,553 deficit that’s showing up on OTC. A simple cut involving O’Neill would mean tossing an added $19,411,765 into the mix.

Are the Vikings tempted at all? Best guess: no, not at all. Much better would be to arrive at an extension.

Dec 16, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (75) celebrates running back Cam Akers (27) touchdown against the Chicago Bears in the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.

Opting to adjust the Brian O’Neill contract by adding more years comes with a pair of benefits.

First, an extension allows Minnesota to continue employing the rugged, athletic lineman. He’s aging well, allowing him to continue playing strong football even as he climbs into his 30s.

Second, there’s the possibility of freeing more cap space. An extension has the potential to see $14,160,000 added back into the mix. Not as good as a cut, but that’s a nice financial windfall.

Pulling the extension lever rather than the cut lever appears obvious, but the Vikings have so far resisted doing so. Maybe conversations are happening behind the scenes.

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Right or wrong, the Vikings aren’t punting on competing in 2026, so they’ll be hesitant about jettisoning high-end talent. That is, of course, unless there’s a clear plan to replace the departing talent. At OT, such a replacement plan doesn’t appear to be in place.

Sep 14, 2023; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Brian O’Neill (75) blocks against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Per PFF, Mr. O’Neill allowed 2 sacks last season. So, too, did he get dinged with allowing 1 quarterback hit and 21 pressures. He was guilty of committing 6 penalties, something he’ll look to clean up moving forward.

At 6’7″ and 310 pounds, Brian O’Neill looks as though he was built in a lab to be an NFL offensive tackle. The team captain should remain.


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

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Monday gallop to shape Gin Twist’s 2026 campaign

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The decision on whether Gin Twist forges ahead to another start or enters a spell phase hinges on her performance in a track gallop.

Lindsay Park’s two-year-old filly is a potential runner in Saturday’s Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield, contingent on a satisfying showing in Monday’s gallop.

She was the hot favourite dispatched in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Breeders Stakes (1200m) at Flemington March 28, leading early before stopping to take third.

Ben, Will and J D Hayes prepare Gin Twist, who was accounted for by more than three lengths by the Sydney mare Satono Glow.

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Ben Hayes mentioned optimism surrounds the filly’s readiness for Saturday, as she exhibits no adverse aftereffects from the race.

“We’ll make a decision on Monday whether she runs or not after she does some work,” Hayes said.

“We feel that one, she raced a bit fresh last week and two, she didn’t handle the heavy track, but she has pulled up fine.

“It is a good opportunity for her and if she doesn’t work well, we won’t run her, but if she works well, we’ll run her.”

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The filly had previously claimed the Listed Festival Stakes (1000m) victory at Flemington on February 28, and was next in line as third emergency for Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill on March 21.

Lindsay Park refrained from interstate travel for her, aware a start was improbable.

Hayes is of the view that Gin Twist copes with 1200m and merits another attempt on a good track.

“I think she is a very fast horse, and 1200 metres is her limit,” Hayes said.

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“But it is hard to judge her off that run over 1200 metres, which was down the straight, and on a heavy eight (track).

“We can find out if she can the trip and then we’ll know how to place her next prep.”

Secure the best value with betting sites offering markets for the Redoute’s Choice Stakes.

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Liv Morgan breaks character to discuss her relationship with Rhea Ripley

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Liv Morgan broke character to comment on her relationship with WWE star Rhea Ripley. Both Ripley and Morgan will be challenging for major titles at WrestleMania 42.

In an interview with Esteban Ramirez, Liv Morgan broke character to comment on her relationship with Rhea Ripley. The Judgment Day star noted that she knew her former rival was going to be a star while they were in NXT together and left Ripley her locker when she got called up to the main roster.

“Rhea and I have quite a bit of lore. I remember back in the Performance Center when I saw her, I knew that she was gonna be a star. It was just very evident to me. So when I had gotten called up to the main roster, I had left Rhea my locker. I told her, ‘You can have my locker, you can move your stuff into my locker.’ She didn’t even have a locker yet,” said Morgan.

The Women’s Royal Rumble winner added that they will always be connected and compared their rivalry to Batman and The Joker.

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“I came back on the Liv Morgan Revenge Tour and took everything that she loved including Dominik, the Judgment Day and the Women’s World Championship. So I feel like we are both the heroes and villains in each other’s stories. She is the Batman to my Joker, and I am the villain in her hero’s story, and she is the villain in my hero’s story,” she added. [H/T: WrestleTalk on X]

You can check out the interview in the video below:

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Morgan will be challenging Stephanie Vaquer for the Women’s World Championship at WrestleMania 42.

Liv Morgan comments on recent WWE injury

WWE RAW star Liv Morgan recently discussed her injury last year that caused her to miss several months of WWE television.

In an interview with Brad Gilmore, the 31-year-old noted that the injury was devastating for her last year as she was on an upward trajectory. The WWE veteran added that she was upset about the situation during her hiatus last year.

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“I do feel like in the moment that I got injured, I was on a very upward trajectory. And so the injury obviously devastated me. I was very, very angry the whole entire time I had off time,” she said.

Liv Morgan says she was “angry the whole time” when she was recovering from shoulder injury: “I was mad the whole entire time,” Morgan said. “I got injured in a moment [when] I had multiple things going on for me. I was really enjoying and loving what I was doing. So to have all

Only time will tell if Liv Morgan can defeat Stephanie Vaquer to become champion once again at WWE WrestleMania.