Training camp is underway for the Minnesota Vikings, and the team is preparing for the 2025 NFL season. For most fans, that brings to mind thoughts of teams getting together to practice their roles, but a lot more is going on behind the scenes.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is still working to get the best possible group of players together for the upcoming year and many years to come. That was evidenced by the extension earned by versatile defender Josh Metellus.
Now that Metellus will be in Minnesota for a few more years to continue to play multiple roles in the defense, it is time for the Vikings to take a look down the road and see which player might be next in line for an extension.
Now that Josh Metellus has his contract extension, it's time to think about the next big extension for the Minnesota Vikings.
It won't be long before another player will be in the position where it is time to negotiate a contract extension with the Minnesota Vikings. With Metellus locked down, the focus shifts to right tackle Brian O'Neill.
The Vikings were serious about improving their offensive line this offseason. They used several major resources to get the players they wanted, including spending a hefty sum in free agency and using their top draft pick on a guard.
Minnesota is solid at the tackle positions. Christian Darrisaw has been excellent on the left side, and Brian O'Neill has proven himself on the right. And although he is still under contract through the 2026 NFL season, getting an extension done with the six-foot-seven, 311-pound blocker before that could be very beneficial.
O'Neill is due to have a salary cap hit of over $26 million in 2025 and over $23 million in 2026. The Vikings had his contract with significantly lower hits in earlier seasons and may want to decrease that number with an extension.
To put that in perspective, he is the third-highest paid right tackle in the league for 2025 behind only Taylor Moton of the Panthers and Jawaan Taylor of the Chiefs. For 2026, he is scheduled to be the seventh-highest-paid right tackle.
If the Minnesota Vikings could lock down the 29-year-old offensive lineman for a few more years while working to lower those cap hits, it would be a huge move for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the future of the purple and gold.