Which Vikings player is next in line for an extension? The 5 most likely candidates

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One of the under-the-radar, no-nonsense traits of the Minnesota Vikings leadership team is the way it orchestrates new deals. Justin Jefferson’s hefty contract? Secured without the hoopla. Christian Darrisaw’s extension? The same story.

Last week, superagent Drew Rosenhaus visited the TCO Performance Center and met with Vikings cap whiz Rob Brzezinski — and the rest was history. Edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel signed a deal to stay in Minnesota for another season with barely a peep.

A dream situation for @AndrewVanGinkel 🏠 pic.twitter.com/Qf59wpcP4h

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 30, 2025

This summer won’t see big-ticket items like Jefferson or Darrisaw brought to the table. Still, even with Van Ginkel’s future finalized, there are some moves for the Vikings to make.

Who’s next? Here are five potential names with recent signings serving as a guide:

Josh Metellus, S/LB

Let’s start with a statistic: Metellus was one of two NFL players last season to play 10 percent of his team’s snaps on the line of scrimmage, as a slot corner, at safety and at linebacker. The other player to do it? Derwin James. Metellus is a one-man embodiment of what defensive coordinator Brian Flores looks for. It’s versatility. It’s aptitude. It’s a chess piece that can be moved just about anywhere on the board.

Metellus is a perfect extension candidate. First, he is still young, having just turned 27 in January. Second, his contract is set to void after the 2025 season. Third, he is one of the cornerstone leaders in a Vikings locker room that will need consistent voices when (or if?) Harrison Smith retires. And fourth, Metellus wants to remain in Minnesota.

He signed his last contract in 2023, a $6 million guaranteed leap of faith by the team and a security play for Metellus. A similar three-year structure makes sense this time around. The question is: At what cost? Cam Bynum, who just departed for the Indianapolis Colts via free agency, netted essentially $26 million fully guaranteed for three seasons. The Detroit Lions’ Kerby Joseph received a contract extension at a comparable value.

Metellus’ price might hover around $20 million over three years fully guaranteed, but the Vikings and Metellus’ agent, Rosenhaus, should have a positive enough relationship to consummate a new deal.

LIVE: @NoExcuses_23 talks to the media during the offseason program https://t.co/M0jt2mO4TP

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 29, 2025

Josh Oliver, TE

Nothing about Oliver’s game is sexy. Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work” could conceivably be about this tight end, who grapples with elite edge rushers every week. Two years ago, coach Kevin O’Connell was focused on improving the run game. The answer then? Adding Oliver, who looks so much like an edge rusher that one of the local media members mistook him for one in his initial news conference.

Oliver has played more than 1,000 offensive snaps over the last two seasons. He held his own in T.J. Hockenson’s absence in the early part of 2024. His pass-catching ability might still be a tad underrated. His blocking prowess always will be. His contract circumstances mirror Metellus’ in that his initial three-year agreement is set to void after this season. The tight end depth behind him is unproven.

Losing Johnny Mundt didn’t (and shouldn’t have) spurred headlines, but the Vikings staff winced at his signing with the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team believes in what sixth-round pick Gavin Bartholomew and undrafted signing Ben Yurosek can be, especially under the tutelage of tight ends coach Brian Angelichio. However, neither player will be the force on the edge that Oliver is.

Washington’s John Bates signed a three-year extension in March worth around $11.5 million guaranteed. He and Oliver are both 28, and Oliver, who was Pro Football Focus’ highest-graded run-blocking tight end, has a sensible argument to top him at around $12 million.

Brian O’Neill, OT

There might not be a more interesting Vikings contract consideration than O’Neill’s. He is signed through 2026, so having this discussion now might be a tad early. It’s important enough to talk through, though.

The Vikings love O’Neill, and understandably so. O’Connell leans on him heavily for leadership, and O’Neill’s voice carries more weight than most. That’s because of his performance, durability and reliability. He has started 106 games since 2018. He partially tore his Achilles tendon late in the 2022 season, returned the following year and played 14 games, then stacked 17 more on top of that in 2024. Once Christian Darrisaw tore his ACL, O’Connell left O’Neill mostly on islands throughout the back half of the season, and O’Neill handled the challenge the way he often has, despite playing next to subpar sideboards at right guard.

O’Neill’s cap number for 2025 is around $26 million, which ranks as the third highest among all right tackles. That number will dip in 2026, but by then, O’Neill’s agent may want a reworked contract. How should the Vikings proceed? It’s a fascinating question given O’Neill’s importance, his age (he turns 30 this fall) and the lack of an obvious replacement.

As for what O’Neill could ask for, there aren’t many comparable situations at right tackle. This spring, the Baltimore Ravens re-upped core left tackle Ronnie Stanley for $44 million fully guaranteed over three seasons. At right tackle, that would come close to the top of the market, but O’Neill would likely lie somewhere near $40 million guaranteed.

C.J. Ham, FB

Last season, the Vikings were more efficient running the football with Ham on the field, but the numbers weren’t starkly different. Minnesota used 21 personnel at the sixth-highest rate in the NFL, but that was still less than 15 percent of their offensive snaps.

The case for Ham is more about what he brings to special teams and the locker room. He’ll turn 32 this summer, and while his offensive snap count has increased each season, his impact in the run-blocking and pass-catching phases varies. His contract is up after the 2025 season, so if the Vikings believe in his influence as much as the coaches say they do, an extension worth around $2 million for 2026 seems appropriate.

Blake Cashman, LB

Cashman is a year younger than Van Ginkel, but this conversation isn’t wildly different from Van Ginkel’s. The Vikings signed both in the spring of 2024. Both had durability concerns. Both were stars in their debut season in Minnesota. Van Ginkel earned second-team All-Pro honors, and Cashman was snubbed from the Pro Bowl.

Before Van Ginkel signed his extension, his contract ran through 2026. That’s how Cashman’s is. His cap number for 2026 ranks 19th among NFL off-ball linebackers. Securing Cashman into 2027 feels appropriate, even if his injury history gives pause for how sustainable his 2024 production was. More than anything, this would be validating what Cashman is capable of.

The New England Patriots signed linebacker Robert Spillane to a three-year contract worth $11 million annually this spring. That’s about $3.5 million more than Cashman’s annual value, and Cashman’s coverage success (especially in Flores’ defense) warrants a reassessment.

(Photo of Josh Metellus: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)

This news was originally published on this post .

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