The Minnesota Vikings had six Pro Bowl selections for the first time since 2009 but linebacker Blake Cashman was auspiciously left off the list.
A key member of one of the top defenses in the league, many consider Cashman to be one of the biggest snubs of this year’s games. But the 28-year-old doesn’t appear to be sweating it based on his comments to KARE-11’s Reggie Wilson on Thursday.
“Not at all. I think people vote for the right guys, and hopefully, one day, that’s something that every player would love to be a part of. But right now, I'm not chasing Pro Bowls. I’m chasing Super Bowls.”
Blake Cashman focused on helping the Minnesota Vikings win a Super Bowl
Cashman could be considered a snub due to his value on the Vikings defense. In his first year with Minnesota, Cashman has 104 tackles, 4.5 sacks and eight tackles for loss but wasn’t even named to the Pro Bowl games as an alternate behind Philadelphia’s Zack Baun and San Francisco’s Fred Warner.
While Baun and Warner are first and second in PFF’s overall grades among linebackers this season, Cashman has provided value beyond his stats. In addition to wearing the green dot as the communicator for the Vikings defense, Minnesota is also undefeated when Cashman plays, posting a perfect 13-0 record.
But Cashman’s mind is in the right place. The Vikings are having their best season since 1998 and have a chance to win the NFC North with a victory over the Lions on Sunday night. A victory would also give the Vikings home-field advantage for the first time since the vaunted squad featuring Randy Moss went all the way to the NFC Championship Game.
The Vikings would like to put this year’s team in the same company as the 1998 team and take it a step further by reaching the Super Bowl for the first time since 1977. Cashman will be a large part of that process and be looking to make a name for himself in the final weeks of the 2024 season.