There’s usually more to NFL contracts than what first meets the eye. Examining the specifics and arrangement of an agreement is crucial in order to understand its true nature.
Blake Cashman, for instance, was signed by the Vikings to a reportedly $22.5 million, three-year contract. Additionally, they signed Andrew Van Ginkel to a $20 million, two-year contract. However, a closer look at the terms of those agreements reveals that GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the team kept some leeway going into the upcoming offseason.
The terms of Cashman’s deal are as follows, per Over the Cap:
Just $9.475 million of the $22.5 million was completely guaranteed at the time of signing. This covers both his $1.725 million guaranteed salary for this year and his $7.75 million signing bonus. If he is still on the roster on March 3rd, the third day of the league year, 2025, his $5.525 million guaranteed compensation (base salary, roster bonus, and workout bonus) will be paid.
Therefore, if Cashman plays poorly or doesn’t fit in Minnesota after a year, the Vikings have an option to cut him, albeit it would come with a sizable amount of dead money. In order to avoid the $10.1 million cap impact in 2026, they may also easily opt out of the agreement after two years or sign him to an extension.
Van Ginkel’s agreement is made considerably more intriguing by the utilization of blank years:
Half of his $20 million was guaranteed in full at the time of signing. That equates to a $7 million signing bonus and a guaranteed $3 million salary for the following two years. If he is still on the roster on the third day of the league season the following year, an additional $3 million is guaranteed. Adding to the signing bonus are the vacant years, which means Van Ginkel’s cap hit this year is only $3.4 million. The Vikings could move on from that contract the next year and eat some dead money, just like they did with Marcus Davenport this season.
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