The Minnesota Vikings had the fifth-best scoring defense in the NFL last season, and star linebacker Blake Cashman was a big reason why.
The 29-year-old linebacker led the team with a career-high 112 tackles along with 28 pressures, 17 hurries, six QB hits, 4.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, eight passes defensed, and one fumble recovered, per Pro Football Focus, as the heart and soul of Minnesota’s defense.
It was the second straight season Cashman hit the 100-tackle mark, and it was the third straight season he recovered at least one fumble.
Cashman was having a solid performance in the Vikings’ Week 1 matchup against the Chicago Bears on “Monday Night Football,” logging three tackles and one pressure, but he exited early in the fourth quarter after suffering a hamstring injury. He’s been ruled out for the rest of the game.
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A look at Blake Cashman’s injury #NFL pic.twitter.com/OVhkSn0jCE
— Tanner Phifer (@TannerPhifer) September 9, 2025
The seventh-year linebacker pulled up limping after trying to chase down Bears quarterback Caleb Williams after he burst out of the pocket and took off up field.
No further details were given during the broadcast, and Cashman’s status for Minnesota’s Week 2 “Sunday Night Football” matchup against the Atlanta Falcons is unknown.
Cashman’s absence will be a big one for the Vikings defense, as noted by “Monday Night Football” color commentator Troy Aikman.
“When (Blake) Cashman isn’t on the field, this is a different defense,” Aikman said on the broadcast.
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An update on Cashman’s injury will likely come sometime Tuesday afternoon.
With Cashman on the sideline, Eric Wilson and Austin Keys will likely see a big uptick in playing time.
Wilson totaled 72 tackles, two sacks, two passes defensed, a forced fumble, and an interception in 17 games with the Green Bay Packers last season. He has 39 starts under his belt in his eight-year NFL career.
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The post Vikings Lose Key Defensive Star to Concerning Non-Contact Injury vs Bears appeared first on Newsweek.
