The Sneaky Fact about Josh Metellus’ Injury
Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus will miss the remainder of 2025 with a shoulder injury, pursuing surgery and heading for injured reserve. His next stop is the offseason and hopefully game-readiness in Week 1 of 2026. And according to his wife, Metellus played through a torn labrum through much of the current season.
It explains the uneven tape, the timing of the shutdown, and why Minnesota’s defense suddenly needs answers at safety.
The guy gutted it out, not unlike Carson Wentz a couple of months ago.
The Detail That Changes How Josh Metellus’ Season Went Down
Metellus’ wife provides context on his injury.
A Torn Labrum for Metellus … That He Played Through
Metellus wouldn’t mention it on his own — but his wife did.
She posted to Instagram this week after the news of Metellus’ season-ending injury went public: “The strongest person I’ve ever known. It took everything in him to finally call it. He played week after week after week with a torn labrum and never once complained or questioned it. His love for the game and this team runs deeper than most will ever understand. I’m so proud to be your wife.”
Metellus (husband) frequented the Vikings’ injury reports and could even be seen in pain on the field throughout games. Thanks to his better half, more clarity has emerged about his injury. He played through the pain.
An Explanation for the Perceived Struggles
This season hasn’t looked like the Metellus the Vikings have leaned on for years, and there’s a growing sense that the shoulder was part of the problem long before the surgery news arrived. The film hasn’t been kind, and the analytics are even harsher.
Pro Football Focus has him sitting at a 55.4 overall grade, a noticeable slide from the mid-to-high 60s range he posted in both 2023 and 2024. That drop isn’t just cosmetic. His coverage numbers cratered, with a 46.8 mark that puts him closer to replacement level than difference-maker territory. For a player valued on versatility and reliability, that’s alarming.
The production tells the same story. Metellus gave up four touchdowns this season after allowing just one all of last year. The hope is that time off and a clean bill of health reset the equation, because in 2025, the Swiss Army knife looked a little dull.
But with the new information available about Metellus playing through the injury, well, a downturn would be expected — probably why he’ll have the surgery now rather than waiting until a month from now. Start healing sooner.
The Same Thing Happened to Carson Wentz, and the Coach Was Accused of Malice
Ironically — and a bit comically — a torn labrum was the injury that beset Vikings quarterback Carson Wentz this season. He played through the injury, too, so much so that he did not want to be taken out of his final game of the season, a Thursday Night Football showdown at the Los Angeles Chargers.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell left Wentz in that contest while he played in a visible agony, knowing that his alternative at the time, quarterback Max Brosmer, simply wasn’t ready for the bright lights of Thursday Night Football.
O’Connell was accused of sabotage in the shadows, with theories suggesting he “didn’t want to put Brosmer in the game, who might make J.J. McCarthy look bad.” The theory never made sense because NFLers playing through torn labrums is pretty common, and a few weeks later, onlookers learned that Brosmer, indeed, was not fully ready for the QB1 job, getting destroyed by the Seattle Seahawks and looking silly along the way.
Metellus playing through the injury, just as Wentz did, is further proof that O’Connell told the truth and that there was no ludicrous conspiracy to protect McCarthy.
A Skeleton Crew Defense the Rest of the Way
Metellus wasn’t the only season-ending shoulder surgery this week in Minnesota.
Outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard, arguably the team’s best defensive player, opted for the arrangement as Metellus. His season is over.
Therefore, at the New York Giants this week, Minnesota will feature Dallas Turner instead of Greenard against New York’s offensive line, and a combination of Theo Jackson and Jay Ward will take over Metellus’ job.
And, of course, Minnesota has been eliminated from postseason contention, meaning younger players will get their chance to shine on the whole.
Metellus has three seasons left on his contract after 2025, and he will hope to return to his 2024 form next September following the upcoming shoulder surgery.
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