Right before the beginning of the 2023 season on Saturday, the Minnesota Vikings restructured the contract of right tackle Brian O’Neill. The move was reported by ESPN’s Field Yates.
The move for the Vikings ended up saving them $9.99 million on the salary cap in 2023. O’Neill was the ideal candidate for this to happen, as his contract is likely to see its end after the 2027 season.
Buy Vikings TicketsMaking this move right before the season is done to give a team salary cap space for in season moves. Per game roster bonuses don’t hit the salary cap until they are earned, which need salary cap space. It’s the same thing that the Vikings dealt with last season with Za’Darius Smith.
The other element at play here is contract extensions. The Vikings were trying to get one done with Justin Jefferson and ended up getting one done with Josh Metellus.
It’s not likely that the Vikings made this move to sign someone from the outside, but it’s also not an impossibility.
