Contract Extension Talks Aren’t Over for Vikings
Justin Jefferson’s megadeal is complete, and the Minnesota Vikings’ regular season is three months away, but contract extension talks aren’t necessarily over for the summer.
Contract Extension Talks Aren’t Over for Vikings
Camryn Bynum has entered the chat, and Minnesota may look to nail down his services for the long haul sometime before the start of the 2024 regular season.
The veteran safety has one year left on his rookie contract, so now is the natural time for those discussions to heat up. It’s just that from a Vikings fan perspective, everything at all relating to contract extensions has involved Jefferson, and he grabbed $140 million over four years earlier this week. With Jefferson’s deal finally complete, folks can return to monitoring all aspects of the team.
And that includes Bynum, who blossomed in 2023 with the help of new defensive coordinator Brian Flores in charge. Regarding an extension this summer, KSTP’s Darren Wolfson said on SKOR North this week, “I did talk with Cam Bynum about a potential contract extension … my sense is there is mutual interest on getting an extension done whether it’s right before training camp / late July… or before the opener before the New York Giants.”
As a rookie in 2021, Bynum flourished in relief of Harrison Smith for a few games, so much so that his trajectory as a sophomore in 2022 soared, at least per offseason outlook. Then, Minnesota cut ties with Mike Zimmer, hired Kevin O’Connell as head coach, and O’Connell onboarded Ed Donatell as his defensive bossman in 2022. The Donatell experiment didn’t fare well, lasting just one season before Flores took over in 2023. In 2022, Bynum’s second campaign, he struggled to catch fire in Donatell’s defense, like many defenders that season. Bynum was a fringe roster-cut candidate last summer, though the theory never took hold too seriously.
Bynum later arrived to the 2023 season — producing a 73.2 Pro Football Focus grade and commanding a bit of Pro Bowl attention. He didn’t get the nod from voters, but his performance nibbled at the honor.
So, what would a Bynum contract look like? NFL contracts always increase with the importation of TV money, for starters. His deal would likely fetch three years and $30 million or something in the ballpark. That would rank him around 10th highest-paid or so in the league, a fair deal for his services, with contracts escalating henceforth. A slimmer deal, around $24 million for three years, could also materialize.
After Bynum — not unlike Jefferson’s saga over the last 18 months — left tackle Christian Darrisaw’s extension will dominate 2025 offseason headlines.
Bynum will turn 26 next month.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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