The Minnesota Vikings and right tackle Brian O’Neill have agreed to an extension that keeps him under contract with the team until the 2027 offseason.
During the last decade, the Minnesota Vikings have tried just about every method possible to build a reliable offensive line.
Unfortunately, none of these methods have really worked for the Vikings as they are about to head into yet another season with several questions surrounding the talent level of their offensive line.
Despite all the disappointments that Minnesota’s blockers have provided the team over the years, one of the few bright spots has been right tackle Brian O’Neill. Since getting drafted by the Vikings in 2018, O’Neill has developed into one of the top right tackles in the entire NFL. On Wednesday, Minnesota rewarded their top blocker with a lucrative new deal.
Minnesota Vikings give Brian O’Neill a five-year contract extension
With how rare it’s been for the Vikings to find talented offensive lineman, when they actually land one, making sure that blocker sticks around is a huge priority.
For the last few months, there has been a lot of speculation about Minnesota giving an extension to O’Neill. With the start of the 2021 regular season just days away, some were beginning to have a little bit of doubt about the Vikings being able to get a deal done with their starting right tackle.
But on Wednesday, Minnesota announced that they were able to sign O’Neill to a multi-year contract extension.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, the Vikings have given the veteran right tackle a five-year extension worth $92.5 million. The deal comes with $22.6 million in fully guaranteed money and he will make $40 million during the first two years of the deal. His average pay rate has now bumped up to $18.5 million.
It’s a contract that was expected and one that is well deserved for O’Neill. Hopefully, this deal is a sign that more positive moments are on their way for Minnesota’s offensive line.