Fan Favorite Viking Takes to Social Media with a Bold Claim
Josh Metellus, a fan favorite Viking, thinks that he is going to prove some people wrong in 2025.
Recently, the safety has been in the news for his extension, or lack thereof. He has spoken about the issue in the past, suggesting that his desire is to remain in Minnesota (a sentiment the team almost certainly reciprocates). Part of what makes an ongoing relationship so appealing is that he’s highly motivated to get more recognition.
Josh Metellus, The Fan Favorite Viking, Pushing for Respect
To stand alongside the article on their website, PFF shared a social media post ranking the top safeties in the NFL.
Metellus, at the very least, noticed the social media portion of things. He saw the top-ten list and found his name missing, leading to his vow: “I’ll leave no question this year about where I belong in these talks.” Right after the brief blurb, there’s a stock market symbol where the line is moving in a distinctly upward direction.
Sitting at the very top of the ranking is Kyle Hamilton, the Baltimore safety whom Minnesota has received ample criticism for avoiding in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Notre Dame safety is a brilliant player, someone who has quickly pushed himself into elite. Major miss from the Vikings.
There are then nine more players included to round out the top ten — the most notable of whom for the Vikings could be Antoine Winfield Jr. given the familial connection — but Josh Metellus isn’t among them. The veteran safety is looking to change that reality.
Overall, Metellus comes in at 30th in their ranking. Consider the assessment: “One of the most versatile players in the league, Metellus lined up almost 100 times at free safety while also logging more than 500 snaps in the box and 340 snaps in the slot. He even lined up 64 times as an edge defender for Minnesota’s defense. While Metellus’ PFF overall grade slightly declined from 2023, his 83.1 PFF run-defense grade ranked 12th among safeties.”
So, too, does Harrison Smith get included. The elder statesman comes in ahead of his teammate by sitting at 27th. The analysis: “It says a lot about the veteran safety’s career that his 67.7 PFF overall grade in 2024 was his lowest mark since 2013 and was still good for the 34th-best mark at the position. Smith, who turned 36 in February, was especially effective close to the line of scrimmage. He earned a 75.9 PFF run-defense grade in 2024, which ranked 27th among safeties.”
Camryn Bynum didn’t get included among the top safeties. Neither did Theo Jackson, but he is stepping into his chance to show the NFL what he can do. Quite possibly, Jackson will get included in next offseason’s list.
Last season, Josh Metellus played 991 snaps on defense alongside 210 on special teams. He picked up 103 tackles to stand alongside his pair of interceptions. His 65.2 PFF grade put him at 44th among qualifying safeties.
Metellus is 27 and moving into a season where he’s carrying a $6,541,667 cap charge. Extending him could lower things by close to $3.5 million in 2025.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and Bluesky (@VikingsGazette). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.
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