Player
Blake Cashman
LB · Vikings
Blake Cashman: facts drawn from the play-by-play.
Three teams in five years. The breakout was waiting for the third stop.
TrendCashman regular-season defensive production by year
| Year | Team | G | Solo | Asst | Comb | Sacks | TFL | PDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | NYJ | 7 | 25 | 13 | 38 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 2020 | NYJ | 4 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | NYJ | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | HOU | 13 | 16 | 7 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| 2023 | HOU | 13 | 40 | 50 | 90 | 2 | 9 | 5 |
| 2024 | MIN | 14 | 59 | 44 | 103 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
| 2025 | MIN | 13 | 60 | 83 | 143 | 2 | 4 | 2 |
Combined tackles per season
| Season | Combined tackles |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 38 |
| 2020 | 6 |
| 2021 | 3 |
| 2022 | 23 |
| 2023 | 90 |
| 2024 | 103 |
| 2025 | 143 |
A 5th-round Jets pick in 2019 who barely played in 2020-21 (combined 9 tackles in 5 games), bounced to Houston as a depth signing in 2022, then exploded once given starter snaps. From 23 → 90 → 103 → 143 combined tackles in four consecutive years.
Six sacks for a stack LB over 2024-25 is a top-10 number in the league.
RareTop NFL LB sack producers, 2024-25 (min 150 tackles)
| LB | Sacks | Tackles |
|---|---|---|
| Frankie Luvu | 10 | 177 |
| Lavonte David | 8 | 224 |
| Eric Wilson | 8 | 178 |
| Kaden Elliss | 8 | 244 |
| Tyrel Dodson | 7 | 220 |
| Nakobe Dean | 7 | 175 |
| Blake Cashman | 6 | 246 |
| Jordyn Brooks | 6 | 311 |
| Zack Baun | 6 | 261 |
Tackle volume + pass-rush is the rare combination. Cashman is the only LB in the top 8 sack producers who is also above 240 combined tackles — Luvu (177), Wilson (178), Dean (175) get there on lighter workloads. Brian Flores's Vikings front uses him on simulated pressures more than his Texans defense did, and the QB-hit count jumped to 11 in 2024 as a result.
2024 was the pass-rush spike. 2025 is the assist-tackle role.
SplitPressure stats, 2024 vs 2025
| Year | Sacks | QB Hits | TFL | PDs | INTs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 4 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
In Flores's Year-1 (2024) Vikings system Cashman was a real blitz threat: 11 QB hits, 4 sacks, 8 TFLs in 14 games. 2025 is a different role: more assist tackles (83 vs 44), fewer rushes. It tracks a coordinator decision more than a player decline — Cashman is still on pace for his career-high in combined tackles.
In Houston he averaged 4.6 tackles a game. In Minnesota he's at 9.1.
ComparisonTackles per game by team
| Team | G | Comb | Per G |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jets (2019-21) | 12 | 47 | 3.9 |
| Texans (2022-23) | 26 | 113 | 4.3 |
| Vikings (2024-25) | 27 | 246 | 9.1 |
The pace doubled in Minnesota. Some is sample size — he started only 14 games in Houston in 2023 — but 9.1 combined tackles per game is genuine MIKE-LB territory and explains the 3-year, $22.5M deal he signed in 2024.
Career single-game high: 17 combined tackles — already done it in 2025.
MilestoneTop single-game tackle totals
| Date | Comb | Sacks |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 W17 | 17 | 1 |
| 2025 W16 | 16 | 0 |
| 2025 W12 | 16 | 0 |
| 2023 W11 | 16 | 1 |
| 2025 W11 | 15 | 0 |
Four of his five career-high tackle games have come in 2025 — at the new role's volume peak. Week 17's 17-tackle, 1-sack game is the most by any Vikings linebacker since Eric Kendricks' 2020 season.
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