Vikings Urged to Lock Up Key Offensive Player After Rival’s Contract Decision

The Green Bay Packers just locked in a foundational member of their offensive line, and the Minnesota Vikings may want to do the same.

The Vikings are being urged to re-sign right tackle Brian O’Neill, their starter and a two-time Pro Bowler, before the tackle market gets out of hand.

The Packers locked in right tackle Zach Tom to a four-year, $88 million contract that could go as high as $92 million with bonuses. O’Neill may have two more years on his contract with the Vikings, but at his current caliber of play, the potential savings could be substantial.

Why Should The Vikings Re-Sign Brian O’Neill?

Like construction, the cost of doing business in the NFL rises every day, and with 2024 first-round pick J.J. McCarthy on a bargain-basement contract, Minnesota could use its surplus cap space to lock in O’Neill to protect the second-year quarterback.

“Right now, he has two years remaining with approximately $37.4 million in cash remaining to be paid out in 2025 and 2026,” Tyler Forness of A to Z Sports posted. “O’Neill is currently signed through his age 32 season, which could end up complicating things. However, he should be able to play well as he gets deeper into his 30s. That shouldn’t be too much of a concern.”

“A contract extension in the neighborhood of three years, $72 million ($24 million AAV) would be fair for what O’Neill is and will continue to be. The Vikings can also add void years onto the back end of the deal to maneuver with the salary cap, something that is going to become more and more important to maximize with J.J. McCarthy on a rookie contract.”

The Tom contract could be seen as a comp, though Tom is four years younger than O’Neill. But even though O’Neill will turn 30 on Sept. 15, O’Neill has played better than the Packers tackle.

“With Tom getting $23 million AAV, that is $4.5 million more than what O’Neill’s contract was worth when he signed it in 2021,” Forness said. “One thing that’s interesting is O’Neill’s deal was more on the salary cap from a percentage standpoint than what Tom’s is, and it’s especially topical since O’Neill is a better player than Tom.”

Who Else Could The Vikings Extend?

The Tom extension could lead to O’Neill getting a new contract, since GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has done a superb job of locking in Minnesota’s best players.

“Adofo-Mensah has done a great job in attacking different needs on the roster,” Forness said. “He’s done so not just with players who are free agents, but Adofo-Mensah has taken care of players who are still on the roster.”

Forness noted Josh Metullus who could also be in the mix for an extension but also that his deal could be complicated.

“When you have a player that plays everywhere like Metellus does, it makes things a little bit interesting when trying to find a dollar amount to agree upon,” Forness wrote. “Do you pay him like a safety, a slot cornerback, or something in between? The two markets are significantly different.”