Sports
The Vikings Have $19.5 Million Reasons to Do Something Controversial
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.
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.
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:
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.