The Minnesota Vikings have many tough decisions ahead to rebuild their roster into a contender for 2025, and that could lead to cutting starting tight end Josh Oliver.
Signed to a three-year, $21 million deal in 2023, Oliver was considered a boon to the Vikings running game with upside as a pass-catcher.
However, Oliver’s value is in question after playing just 56% of snaps. Bleacher Report deemed Oliver a top “cap causality” ahead of free agency.
“This signing was a bit of a head-scratcher when it happened, and it’s likely to be re-evaluated in the spring. The Vikings signed Josh Oliver to a three-year, $21 million contract in 2023, and the final year is set to be the most expensive. Oliver is a good blocking tight end, but paying him just under $10 million [in 2025] is a questionable value when he only played 56 percent of the offensive snaps in 2024,” Bleacher Report’s scouting report read.
“The Vikings will already be paying T.J. Hockenson $16.9 million next season. Giving that much money to a second tight end is a difficult pill to swallow, and cutting Oliver would free up $5.1 million.”
With only Hockenson and Oliver under contract at the tight end position for next season, the Vikings rank second in total cap spent ($26.3 million) and have the highest cap percentage (12.1%) sunk at the position.
Devoting that amount of cap space to two tight ends lends itself to hopes of a Rob Gronkowski-Aaron Hernandez tight-end tandem, however, Oliver’s contributions to the Vikings’ pass-happy offense leave more to be desired.
PFF: Josh Oliver a Fringe Top-10 TE in 2025
GettyVikings tight end Josh Oliver
The decision to release Oliver isn’t cut and dry. Pro Football Focus (PFF) graded him as the 11th-highest graded tight end for the 2024 season, just behind Hockenson at No. 10.
The Vikings used 12 personnel — one running back, two wide receivers and two tight ends — on 24.7% of offensive snaps, roughly the league average. The offense logged the third-highest passing expected points added (EPA) in the league in 12 personnel while the run game struggled with a -.09 EPA on runs.
Oliver is not to blame for the Vikings’ poor rushing performance this season. The Vikings averaged over 5.0 yards per carry on outside runs, where is often the lead blocker. A lot more has to go right than just one block for a successful rush, but Oliver was exceptional as a run-blocker, finishing with the highest run-blocking grade at his position (73.0), outperforming All-Pro George Kittle in that regard.
The Vikings ranked eighth in overall EPA out of 12 personnel, which was their second most frequently used personnel grouping — and Oliver is central to that success.
However, his performance in the passing game was only marginal.
Josh Oliver Did Not Step Into TE1 Role With Hockenson Out
GettyVikings tight end Josh Oliver
With Hockenson out for the first seven games of the season, Oliver didn’t see a significant target share — catching 7 of 8 targets for 72 yards. Johnny Mundt assumed the Hockenson role and played more snaps than Oliver during that span.
Hockenson’s return actually opened up more opportunities for Oliver, who posted a season-high 58 yards and a touchdown on five catches in Hockenson’s first game back against the Indianapolis Colts.
Oliver remained involved the next two games, catching 7 of 9 targets for 86 yards, before missing two games with a wrist injury.
When Oliver returned, he was relegated to primarily run-blocking, seeing just 7 targets in the final six games of the season.
Oliver was clearly the TE2 when Hockenson returned and has his own role that is more difficult to replace. However, the value of that role as a run-blocker could be diminished if the Vikings fortify the offensive line and improve the running back position.
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