New Obstacle Puts a Brian O’Neill Cut on the Vikings’ Horizon
The issue has little to do with Brian O’Neill’s on-field ability, or lack thereof. Rather, the issue arrives due to the obstacle presented by the team’s cap space, or lack thereof.
Already, the 2026 budget is showing a deficit sitting at a whopping $53.7 million. Only the Saints — a poorly-managed team that’s perpetually in debt to the future — come in below the Vikings. Moving on from the stud right tackle is a very lucrative way of putting money back into the mix, but could it actually occur?
Brian O’Neill & The Possibility of a Cut
The preferred route all around is likely for an extension.
On September 15th, Brian O’Neill will hit his 30th birthday. He arrived in the NFL back in 2018 courtesy of the No. 62 selection, a decision that has aged tremendously well. O’Neill gives his team on-field excellence while also having a “C” on his chest, proving to be one of the team’s central leaders in recent seasons.
Extending the 6’7″ lineman has the potential of putting $14.16 million back into the open cap room.
The downside is simply that extending a 30-year-old lineman carries some risk. Plus, the most lucrative option is to move on with a simple cut.
Moving on from Mr. O’Neill with a straightforward cut would mean putting $19.5 million in open room back into the mix. No, not enough to clear out the debt, but a pretty large bite with just a single decision. Anytime a GM sees such a financially-beneficial option appear among the list of possibilities, then the discussion at least needs to be had.
For whatever it’s worth, Brian O’Neill isn’t naive to how the NFL functions. Not too long ago, O’Neill stepped in front of the media and discussed how the Vikings would probably consider cutting him at some point. “They’re not doing their job,” O’Neill explains, “if they’re not looking for my replacement at some point.”
Any chance that day is coming sooner than a lot of folks realize? No, O’Neill isn’t going anywhere in 2025, but the 2026 offseason is going to be one where painful decisions get made.
Moving on from Brian O’Neill would lead to several downsides.
Most notably, there would need to be a new right tackle. Getting someone to match his level of play appears next to impossible. Current in-house options to step into the right tackle spot include Justin Skule, Blake Brandel, Walter Rouse, and Logan Brown. All offer their own intrigue and reasons for optimism and yet none can be placed on the same level at O’Neill.
There’s also the issue of losing a long-time leader. Making matters even worse would be if C.J. Ham and Harrison Smith also move on in 2026. That’s a lot of well-respected, veteran leadership departing all at once.
Consider, as well, that the budget isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. Cutting Brian O’Neill would mean accepting a bit north of $3.7 million in dead cap funds. Not a staggering amount, but something to factor into the mix.
Last season, Brian O’Neill earned an 80.8 grade on PFF, putting him at 12th among the 140 offensive tackles considered. He was responsible for allowing 2 sacks, 0 QB hits, and 19 pressures while committing 5 penalties. Really excellent stuff.
Seeing the veteran repeat — improve upon? — his recent performance would mean that an extension is the way to go even if the budget is in rough shape.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
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