MINNEAPOLIS — Blake Cashman’s contract with the Minnesota Vikings expires at the end of this season. The organization brain trust should not let it come to that.

In case anyone needed any further proof of Cashman’s value in Brian Flores’ defense, the veteran linebacker delivered an All Pro-worthy performance Sunday in a 16-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

The Eden Prairie native made plays all over the field at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Cashman collected 12 tackles, two sacks, three quarterback hits and four pass breakups. He became the first NFL player since 2005 to record two sacks and four pass breakups in a game.

He also became the first player since 2000 to post 12 tackles, two sacks and four pass breakups in a game.

“I was like, ‘Did you eat your Wheaties today?’” linebacker Kyle Van Noy said, joking that he teased Cashman for not collecting two additional sacks.

Cashman nearly recorded one final pass breakup on Harrison Smith’s game-sealing interception, but the ball sailed just over his fingers.

Said Smith: “I thought he was about to tip it. I was like, ‘Please don’t touch it.’ I think he already had four PDs. He didn’t need a fifth.”

The jokes and sarcasm underscored the excellence that Cashman put on display but also his stature on the NFL’s top-rated defense. He is the heart of that unit, the player responsible for getting everyone properly aligned and functioning in unison within a complex scheme.

He makes a difficult job look easy.

One day after his alma mater reclaimed the prized pig with a win over Iowa, Cashman gave a billboard performance highlighting why he deserves a contract extension to remain the quarterback of the defense.

“Hopefully he gets compensated correctly and keeps playing well,” Van Noy said.

Though Sunday’s effort was historically noteworthy, Cashman has been performing at an elite level across multiple seasons.

Consider:

He has posted at least seven tackles in 17 consecutive games, which is the longest active streak in the NFL and the longest by a Vikings player since at least 1987.

He has recorded seven-plus tackles and one quarterback hit in seven consecutive games, which is the longest streak since the NFL began tracking quarterback hits in 2006.

He has collected 10 tackles and one sack in five games since joining the Vikings in 2024. No other player in the league has recorded that stat line five times in that span.

As John Malkovich’s character in the movie “Rounders” famously said, “Pay that man his money.”

Cashman is 30 years old and has dealt with injuries. He’s also playing like one of the best in the league at his position.

“He’s a factor in all phases of the game,” Smith said. “He’s getting sacks. He’s awesome in the run game. He’s a huge factor in the pass game. He erases a lot.”

Cashman has flourished in Flores’ scheme since signing as a free agent, a classic case of right time, right place, right situation.

He attributes his success to having a deep understanding and comfort level of Flores’ scheme and knowing the intent behind each play call.

“It allows you to maybe play a step faster, play with a little bit more confidence,” Cashman said.

His responsibilities require him to process and react quickly, communicate information clearly and then play 100 miles per hour once the ball is snapped. Crowd noise at home games adds a layer of complication. Cashman noted that once on Sunday he couldn’t hear himself screaming a call to Andrew Van Ginkel, who was standing right beside him.

Said Smith: “Dudes are yelling at him all game: ‘What’s the call, what’s the call?’ He’s got so much going on that for him to be able to quiet that when the ball is snapped and play with a lot of intelligence and a lot of violence all at one time, he’s playing lights out.”

Cashman admitted the scheme “sometimes looks crazy” to those new to it. Mastery takes time. Cashman has reached that point. Flores trusts him to serve as the orchestra conductor.

“I can be a little chaotic at times,” Cashman said. “But in this defense, we love chaos.”

He created all sorts of chaos for the Colts. One fourth-quarter series defined Cashman’s impact. On back-to-back plays, he forced an errant throw by hitting quarterback Daniel Jones as he released the ball, then batted down a third-down pass.

Cashman clarified afterward that he wasn’t celebrating a pass breakup earlier in the game. He was upset that he didn’t intercept it and return it for a touchdown.

“Those are good plays,” he said, “but they could have been great.”

His performance already was historic. He wishes it would have been even better.

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