Vikings Defender Touts “Bulletproof” Hamstring While Working Toward Week 7 Return
Specifically, Blake Cashman made the comment in relation to his hamstring, the source of his trip to the IR following the Week 1 victory over Caleb Williams’ Bears.
The Vikings defender chatted with the media on Monday. Cashman was quick to praise Minnesota’s staff for working with him to solve the hamstring ailment. In fact, the linebacker is feeling very confident in where his hamstring is: “The hammy’s bulletproof, so I can go out there with 110% confidence and go play to the best of my abilities.”
Vikings Defender Appears Likely to Return Soon
One need not be an expert in sports medicine to know that hamstring injuries can linger. Just think back to the 2023 season where Justin Jefferson missed seven full games.
Minnesota, very likely, made the right call by sliding Cashman to the IR. Doing so gave him a full four games off to get his body right. Even better from a recovery perspective is that the Week 6 bye got tacked onto the end, giving Cashman yet another week to rest his hamstring. There’s no guarantee, of course, but there appears to be a strong chance that Cashman is out there when the Eagles fly into U.S. Bank Stadium.
The 29-year-old linebacker has struggled with injury throughout his career.
In fact, Cashman’s fourteen games started with the Vikings in 2024 was the most starts he ever had in his career. He did play in sixteen games in 2022, but that was a season where he only started a single game.
His debut season in Minnesota was a promising one. The ‘backer piled up 112 tackles, a career-high number. There was then the 4.5 sacks, 11 QB hits, and 8 tackles for loss. Also impressive were his 8 passes defended.
Part of what makes him such a formidable part of the defense is that he essentially doesn’t have a weakness in his game. The expectation bringing him aboard was that he would help with the pass coverage due to his athleticism. But then he proved to be excellent at nullifying the run and getting after the passer, too.
Usually, Cashman is the one to receive the play call from Brian Flores. He then relays the word to his teammates and is a key piece within the unit’s overall communication efforts. Essentially, Cashman is someone who has leadership and brains.
Filling in for the injured LB1 has been Eric Wilson, someone who has been playing well. There’s a possibility that Flores opts to roll with Cashman alongside Wilson in an effort to lean into a linebacker twosome that offers maximum versatility and pass-coverage abilities.
Working under the second season of a three-year agreement with a total financial commitment of $22,500,000, Blake Cashman appears to be a strong extension candidate for the upcoming offseason. Doing so would lower his $9,050,000 cap charge in 2026 while keeping him in town for a while longer.
Blake Cashman joined the NFL back in 2019 as the No. 157 selection, meaning he has overcome much to establish himself as one of the better off-ball ‘backers in the league. He was born in Eden Prairie, so landing employment in the Twin Cities is a homecoming for the Vikings defender with a “bulletproof” hamstring.
Kickoff between the Eagles and Vikings will take place Sunday, October 19th at 12 p.m. CT. Getting #51 back on the field would go a long way in slowing down Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and what is a loaded Eagles roster.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
