Vikings Get Good News After Details of Roster Move Revealed

The Minnesota Vikings enjoyed a breakout 2024 campaign, as they posted a 14-3 record during the regular season, making them one of the best teams in the league. They ended up losing the No. 1 seed in the NFC by suffering a Week 18 loss to the Detroit Lions, and after falling to the No. 5 seed, they were eliminated by the Los Angeles Rams in the first round of the playoffs.

As a result, the front office has been making moves in order to revamp the team, with their biggest decision seeing them allow quarterback Sam Darnold to depart in free agency, meaning J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, will be starting under center next season. One recent move the team made saw them hand tight end Josh Oliver a three-year, $23.25 million contract extension, and as it turns out, the team saved money with that deal.

Full Details of Vikings’ Josh Oliver Contract Extension Revealed

Oliver initially broke into the league with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a third-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, but he didn’t end up finding his footing with them. After spending two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, Oliver latched on with the Vikings in 2023, where he established himself as a solid secondary playmaker at the tight end position behind T.J. Hockenson.

In 2024, Oliver enjoyed the best season of his career, even if he didn’t exactly put up gaudy numbers. In 15 games, Oliver hauled in 22 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns, while also serving as an effective blocker in both the run and pass game. With his role in the offense clear now, Minnesota opted to hand him a nice new contract extension ahead of the new season.

While the length and money in this deal were initially known, the actual details were not revealed until Tuesday. As it turns out, the Vikings actually saved money when it comes to their 2025 salary cap by handing Oliver this new contract. With this deal, Minnesota has saved themselves $5 million, which is another neat benefit of keeping Oliver in town.

“Vikings save over $5M in 2025 cap space with Josh Oliver’s extension,” Sean Borman of Vikings Territory shared in a post on X after breaking down this new contract.

Josh Oliver Looking to Continue to Produce for Vikings in 2025

Minnesota’s decision to extend Oliver may not seem like a huge deal, but McCarthy is going to need all the help he can get as he begins his transition to the pros. Guys like Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones, and Hockenson are obviously going to be more involved than Oliver, but there will still be times when he is called upon to produce for his team.

With a new deal in tow, the Vikings have made it clear they believe in Oliver, and in the process, they have created some cap space for themselves to fill out the remainder of their roster before the new season. It’s not often you can say there’s a win-win deal in the NFL, but it looks like all parties involved got what they wanted here.