When a player signs a large extension – especially when he’s a fan favorite – the focus understandably centers on the dollars and cents. What I’m going to argue is that there is a more abstract value behind Brian O’Neill’s recent extension with the Minnesota Vikings.
First, though, a quick refresher. Josh Frey wrote about the deal shortly after it happened right here on Purple PTSD, noting that “O’Neill’s extension is for five years, and it is worth a whopping $92.5 million dollars. It keeps one of the NFL’s top RTs in Minnesota through 2026, and it makes him the second-highest paid player at the position behind only Ryan Ramczyk.