EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings made a move Wednesday to stabilize one side of their offensive line, announcing that the club has signed right tackle Brian O'Neill to a contract extension.
While the team did not offer specifics on the length and value of the deal, NFL insider Adam Schefter says O'Neill was extended for five years, to the tune of $92.5 million, making him the second-highest paid right tackle in football.
O'Neill, 26, has played in 46 games since being drafted out of the University of Pittsburgh in the second round of the 2018 NFL Draft, starting 42 of them. The Vikings say in the three years he's been a fixture on the right side of the O-line, the club has racked up 4,416 rushing yards, third-most in the NFL in that time period.
Pro Football Focus, which grades individual players and compares them to their positional peers, ranked O'Neill as the 24th overall offensive tackle in 2020-21, and the 10th-best run blocker. His grading has increased steadily during his three-year career.
The 2021-22 season would have marked the last year of O'Neill's rookie contract, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent if not extended.
