The Minnesota Vikings defense has arguably overachieved every season that coordinator Brian Flores has been at the helm, but repeating that feat for the fourth consecutive year isn’t going to be easy — especially if the unit battles significant injuries to crucial players.
Most recently, the injury news coming out of Minneapolis involves starting linebacker Blake Cashman and a finger problem that has been nagging him since last season.
“Vikings LB Blake Cashman is dealing with a finger issue that has lingered since last year, @DWolfsonKSTP mentioned via @SKORNorth,” the VikingzFanPage posted to X on Monday, July 20. “Despite this, Cashman is expected to be a ‘full go’ when training camp kicks off.”
Blake Cashman Has Been Highly Productive Starter for Vikings Over Past 2 Seasons
GettyMinnesota Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman.
Cashman has been with the Vikings for the past two years, missing three games in 2024 and sitting out four contests last season.
Pro Football Focus rated Cashman as the 38th-best linebacker out of 88 players who saw enough snaps to qualify at the position in 2025. His PFF player grade slotted him into the No. 21 spot out of 83 LBs the season prior.
Minnesota can’t afford to play without Cashman for a significant swath of the 2026 campaign given all the other questions across the defense, not to mention uncertainty at quarterback in one of the better divisions in the NFL.
In his 27 appearances for the Vikings, Cashman has tallied 256 total tackles, including 12 tackles for loss, 14 QB hits, 10 pass breakups, 6.5 sacks and one forced fumble. He will play this season at 30 years old on the final year of his $22.5 million contract.
Vikings Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores Has Less to Work With in 2026 Than in Previous Seasons
GettyDefensive coordinator Brian Flores of the Minnesota Vikings.
Cashman has been an excellent fit under Flores, which he explained in his own words during an interview with Jim Rome in May.
“I don’t think there is anybody happier on our defense than me when I saw he was going to be coming back,” Cashman said. “Obviously, for his career and himself and his family legacy, I’d love to see him be a head coach one day — but he is so fun to play for. I love his aggressive attitude, how he approaches game plans, his coaching style, and how he structures our practices.”
Flores will have less to work with on the defensive line in front of Cashman after Minnesota opted to trade pass-rusher Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for two third-round picks in April rather than restructure his contract and pay him more.
As such, third-year player and 2024 first-round pick Dallas Turner — who led the team with 8.0 sacks last season, but who is not the same type of pressure creator that Greenard has proven to be over his career — will step up into a full-time starting role.
Turner must prove he can both collapse opposing pockets and set the edge against the run with regularity in a position group that grows quickly precarious beyond the starting lineup.
Minnesota also faces questions in the secondary, with a thin group at cornerback and the status of veteran safety Harrison Smith for the 2026 campaign still up in the air, as he ponders retirement.
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