Josh Oliver Bio
Josh Oliver (born March 21, 1997) is an American professional football tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 ft 5 in and weighing around 264 lb, he plays as an in-line tight end known for run blocking and dependable hands. He previously played college football for the San Jose State Spartans before entering the league in 2019.
Oliver has built his career on steady development, beginning as a third-round draft pick with the Jacksonville Jaguars and growing into a reliable two-way tight end with the Baltimore Ravens and the Minnesota Vikings. Through the 2025 season, his NFL resume includes 85 receptions for 861 yards and 11 receiving touchdowns.
Early Life and Background
Josh Oliver was born in Templeton, California, and grew up on the Central Coast. He attended Paso Robles High School in nearby Paso Robles, where he quickly became a multi-sport athlete. His family has deep roots in football, giving him an early understanding of the demands of the sport.
His uncle, Clancy Oliver, played defensive back in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1969 to 1970 and the St. Louis Cardinals in 1973. His second cousin Darren Oliver was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1993 to 2013, and his father Rene Oliver earned first-team All-Western Football Conference honors as a cornerback at Cal Poly in 1987 and 1988. That blend of NFL, professional baseball, and college football experience shaped Oliver’s approach to athletics.
At Paso Robles High School, Oliver played tight end, defensive end, and outside linebacker on the football team while also suiting up at forward for the basketball team. He earned first-team all-county accolades from the San Luis Obispo Tribune in both sports. During the 2014 season, he compiled 453 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches while helping the Bearcats reach the CIF Southern California Division III championship game, and he was later named the 2014 CIF Southern Section Northern Division Defensive Player of the Year after recording 13 sacks and two interceptions as a senior.
Path to American Football
Oliver was listed as an "athlete" during much of his recruiting process, which allowed college programs to project him at several positions. He signed a National Letter of Intent with San Jose State as a tight end after then-positional coach Dan Ferrigno described him as having the tools to become an elite tight end at the next level.
He played at San Jose State from 2015 to 2018, finishing his career with 98 receptions for 1,067 yards and seven touchdowns. He was named a Mountain West Conference All-Academic honoree in each of his four seasons, balancing production on the field with consistent work in the classroom.
As a freshman, Oliver’s blocking helped teammate Tyler Ervin break the program’s single-season rushing yardage record, and he scored his first collegiate touchdown during the Spartans’ Cure Bowl victory over Georgia State. Midway through the 2018 season, he won the John Mackey Award as the national tight end of the week after posting eight catches for 158 yards against Hawai’i, setting a school single-game receiving yardage record by a tight end. He earned first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors and served as a team captain in 2018, finishing the year with 56 receptions that ranked third among FBS tight ends, and he was invited to the Senior Bowl following the season.
Josh Oliver Career
Early Career (2019–2020)
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Josh Oliver in the third round, 69th overall, of the 2019 NFL Draft, bringing him in as a developmental tight end with upside as both a blocker and a pass catcher. His rookie season was cut short when he was placed on injured reserve on November 18, 2019, limiting his early exposure to the league.
In 2020, Oliver had surgery on a broken bone in his foot and was again placed on injured reserve on August 20, 2020. Those injury setbacks kept him from establishing a consistent role with the Jaguars, and he ultimately appeared in only a handful of games during his first two professional seasons before Jacksonville moved on.
Baltimore Ravens Breakthrough (2021–2022)
On March 18, 2021, Oliver was traded to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a conditional 2022 seventh-round selection, a move that gave him a fresh opportunity in a run-heavy offense. In his first season with Baltimore, he played in 14 games and finished with nine receptions for 66 yards, contributing primarily as a blocker while learning the Ravens’ offensive system.
Oliver’s role grew in 2022, highlighted by his first career touchdown reception in Week 3 against the New England Patriots, a one-yard catch from quarterback Lamar Jackson in a 37–26 win. He finished the 2022 season with 14 receptions for 149 yards and two touchdowns, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the top run-blocking tight end in the NFL among players with at least 200 blocking snaps, signaling his emergence as a complete tight end.
Minnesota Vikings Era (2023–Present)
On March 15, 2023, Josh Oliver signed a three-year, $21 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings, a deal that reflected his growing reputation as a reliable two-way tight end. In his first season in Minnesota, he recorded 22 receptions for 213 yards and two touchdowns, serving as a steady contributor in both the passing game and the run game.
Oliver followed that with another consistent year in 2024, finishing with 22 receptions for 258 yards and three touchdowns and solidifying his role within the Vikings’ offense. On June 10, 2025, he signed a three-year, $23.25 million contract extension, locking him in with Minnesota through the 2028 season and underscoring the organization’s confidence in his production.
Driving Style and Strengths
Oliver is recognized as a physical, in-line tight end whose strengths lie in run blocking, hand usage, and finishing through contact. He shows reliable hands as a short-area receiver and has developed into a trusted target on play-action and underneath routes, complementing a tight end room that values toughness and detail.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among his career highlights, Oliver’s first NFL touchdown catch from Lamar Jackson in 2022 stands out as a defining early moment with Baltimore. His 2018 John Mackey Award weekly honor, his 2022 top run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, and his 2025 contract extension with the Vikings mark the most significant milestones of his professional journey so far.
Josh Oliver Career Stats
Through the 2025 NFL season, Josh Oliver has recorded 85 receptions for 861 receiving yards and 11 receiving touchdowns across his time with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Baltimore Ravens, and Minnesota Vikings. His role has evolved from a depth tight end early in his career into a starting-caliber blocker and situational pass catcher in Minnesota.
NFL Regular Season Highlights
Oliver’s most productive stretch has come with the Minnesota Vikings, where he posted back-to-back seasons of 22 receptions in 2023 and 2024 and scored five touchdowns across those two years. His career high in receiving yards came during the 2024 season, when he totaled 258 receiving yards, while his career-best three-touchdown campaign also came that year.
Other Performances
Oliver earned first-team All-Mountain West Conference honors as a senior at San Jose State in 2018 and was also named a Mountain West All-Academic selection in each of his four college seasons. He was invited to the Senior Bowl after his senior year, an appearance that helped cement his status as an NFL draft prospect.
| Team | Years | Receptions | Receiving Yards | Receiving TDs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2019–2020 | — | — | — |
| Baltimore Ravens | 2021–2022 | 23 | 215 | 2 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 2023–2024 | 44 | 471 | 5 |
Josh Oliver Family
Family Background and Football Lineage
Josh Oliver comes from a deeply athletic family with professional sports ties on both his father’s and mother’s sides. His uncle, Clancy Oliver, played defensive back in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers and the St. Louis Cardinals, while his second cousin Darren Oliver pitched in Major League Baseball for two decades. His father, Rene Oliver, was a standout cornerback at Cal Poly, earning first-team All-Western Football Conference accolades in 1987 and 1988.
Personal Life
Josh Oliver was born and raised in Templeton, California, where his high school career set the stage for his path to the NFL. Beyond his football commitments and his reported social media presence, public details about his personal relationships are limited, and he tends to keep his family life private.
2025 Season Outlook
Heading into the 2025 NFL season, Josh Oliver is firmly established as a starting tight end for the Minnesota Vikings after signing a three-year, $23.25 million contract extension in June 2025. The deal reflects Minnesota’s belief that his blend of run blocking and short-area receiving will continue to anchor the tight end room and support the team’s offensive identity.
Coming off consecutive 22-reception seasons in 2023 and 2024, Oliver is positioned to push for career highs in both yardage and touchdowns if his usage in the passing game expands. His chemistry with the Vikings’ quarterback group and his track record of dependable blocking suggest he will remain a central figure in the team’s game plans on early downs and in the red zone.
With the Vikings aiming to remain competitive in the NFC playoff picture, Oliver’s consistency as a blocker and his ability to convert in tight coverage give Minnesota a dependable veteran at a position that demands both physicality and reliability. His 2025 campaign is expected to reinforce his reputation as one of the league’s more underappreciated all-around tight ends.
