The Vikings’ Cut Candidate Who Shouldn’t Be
Extend the man.
For some, tight end Josh Oliver is among the Vikings cut candidates. He shouldn’t be. Rather, the bully blocker is someone who appears quite likely to extend his deal, lessening his 2025 cap charge while also attaching him to the roster for the foreseeable future.
The Vikings’ Cut Candidate — TE Josh Oliver — Who Shouldn’t Be
For starters, the appeal of cutting Mr. Oliver.
The tight end is far from the most dangerous weapon in the passing game. At best, Oliver was the fifth or sixth option for Sam Darnold, coming in behind Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, T.J. Hockenson (when healthy), and Aaron Jones.
Do the 22 catches, 258 yards, and 3 touchdowns — all career-high numbers — really justify the cap hit that’s close to $9.5 million? At present, that’s the 8th-highest cap charge for the Vikings in 2025.
Maybe unsurprisingly, Oliver gets mentioned as a cut candidate. Over the Cap includes him within their list of 100 NFL players to monitor as cut options. On PurplePTSD, Janik Eckardt includes Oliver among the cut candidates, explaining, “Oliver’s release would save the Vikings $5.152 million. The Vikings need to decide if his blocking skills are worth that.”
The appeal of cap savings is, without question, appealing. However, carving out that added room stands alongside needing to fill a need: a blocking specialist at tight end.
The TE1 job — one that’s main component involves being a menace in the passing game — is locked down by Hockenson, arguably a top-five option at the position. The TE2 job is really about being a top-five option as a blocker while contributing occasionally through the air.
Paradoxically, the aforementioned status as being the fifth or sixth option is a reason to keep Oliver in town. Minnesota doesn’t need more passing weapons. That’s why Jefferson and Hockenson are operating on large contract extensions; it’s why a 1st got sunk into Addison. Those three, alongside a great pass catcher in Mr. Jones, were welcomed into the purple fold for a reason.
Being able to add value without needing a pile of targets in the passing game is what O’Connell’s offense needs. To that end, Josh Oliver is a good option.
Add it all up and the actual best path is relatively clear: extend Mr. Oliver.
Cutting the blocking bulldozer means regaining more than $5.1 million in open cap space for 2025. Extending the blocking bulldozer opens the potential to regain close to $5.5 million in open cap space for 2025. In other words, the Vikings could have their purple cake while eating it, too. Retain the tight end tandem while also working with some increased financial flexibility in the immediate.
Per PFF, both of Hockenson and Oliver were top-ten tight ends last season. Look for Minnesota to continue leaning on that strength moving forward, especially since both are still only 27.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
Kevin O’Connell Didn’t Take the Bait
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, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.