Appearing on SKOR North on November 5, Wolfson revealed that Cashman, who signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal, continues to be “week-to-week” with a turf toe injury he sustained in Week 5 against the New York Jets.
“It has gone on longer than anyone anticipated. There is frustration, there’s no doubt about that. I’m told ‘week-to-week,’ ” Wolfson said. “It’s possible he’s back this week, but going back to October 7, if I told the Vikings, ‘Blake is not going to be back [by Week 9],’ they would have said ‘You are nuts.’ ”
Cashman’s extended absence was evident in the Vikings’ back-to-back losses coming out of the Week 6 bye. He was the Vikings’ leading tackler and the 15th highest-graded linebacker by Pro Football Focus (PFF) through the first five weeks of the season. He is also the preferred signal caller, relaying Brian Flores’ play calls to the rest of the defense.
While there is frustration within the Vikings organization, Wolfson cleared the air that it’s about the fickleness of the turf toe injury and not a question of Cashman’s mettle.
“There’s toughness there that has carried Blake this far,” Wolfson added. “Trust me, if Blake could be out there, he would be out there.”
A native of Eden Prairie and University of Minnesota alumnus, Cashman’s return to the state was welcomed, especially given his impressive performance before the bye week.
However, the Vikings’ decision to sign him came with some precaution: a potential out by next offseason.
“Of the $22.5 million, only $9.475 million was fully guaranteed at signing. That includes his $7.75 million signing bonus plus $1.725 million in guaranteed salary this year. His $5.525 million 2025 (base salary, roster bonus, and workout bonus) will guarantee if he’s on the roster on the third day of the league year next March,” Sports Illustrated’s Will Ragatz wrote.
“So the Vikings have a potential out after one year if Cashman doesn’t fit well in Minnesota or underperforms, although that would come with a decent chunk of dead money. They can also easily get out of the deal — or sign him to an extension — after two years, to avoid the $10.1 million cap hit in 2026.”
The reason for a potential out was likely due to Cashman’s injury history. He tore his labrum his rookie year and had landed on injured reserve five times in his first three seasons with the Jets.
Cashman remained healthy the past two seasons with the Houston Texans, but the injury history called into some questions of his durability.
Over The Cap appraised Cashman’s performance through the first five weeks worth a $14 million-a-year contract as it seems the Vikings got a steal in the Minnesota native.
But they’re now dealing with the concerns they had when first signing him.
