The NFL offseason is moving swiftly, and this week marks a key checkpoint for the Minnesota Vikings. From Tuesday through Thursday, the team will hold its Mandatory Minicamp at TCO Performance Center in Eagan. After that, just one final voluntary OTA remains on the schedule, set for June 16 to 18.
Once that wraps up, players will head into a brief break, roughly a month off, before returning to the Twin Cities suburbs for Training Camp in mid to late July. In the meantime, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and the front office will stay busy, continuing contract negotiations with both coaches and players.
As recently reported by Darren Wolfson (KSTP) on SKOR North, several Vikings coaches are currently in the midst of negotiating new deals. On the player side, the most high-profile negotiation involves safety Josh Metellus, a deal Wolfson and others believe is likely to get done.
That optimism does not extend to tight end Josh Oliver, however. The 28-year-old former third-round pick out of San Jose State is also approaching free agency next offseason. But unlike Metellus, Oliver seems perfectly comfortable playing out the final year of his current contract and hitting the open market in March.
To be clear, Oliver enjoys being in Minnesota just like many within the organization, but he appears to be betting on himself. At 6-foot-5 and widely regarded as one of the best blocking tight ends in the league, he is confident that another strong season will boost his value when free agency arrives.
If the Vikings remain a strong fit for him beyond 2025, there is still a chance Oliver could return, just not on a discounted early extension.
“If I had to bet, I’d like to think the next extension that gets done is not Josh Oliver,” Wolfson said this week on the Mackey & Judd Show. “I think, at this point, he’s headed for unrestricted free agency next March and from what I understand, he’s okay with that.
“He’s moved around already. He likes it here. But he’s banking on having a good year and positioning himself for a bigger third contract. Maybe even back with the Vikings, but I don’t think a pre-camp extension is happening unless something changes. Right now, there’s no movement on that front.”
Losing a player like Josh Oliver would be a tough blow for Kevin O’Connell’s offense, especially as the Vikings transition toward a more run-heavy identity with rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy under center.
Since joining Minnesota, Oliver has appeared in 32 games with 27 starts, hauling in 44 receptions on 56 targets for 471 yards and 5 touchdowns. That production has more than doubled what he managed in his first four NFL seasons combined with the Jaguars and Ravens.
