Vikings Defender Speaks Out on Controversy
The Minnesota Vikings rarely have contractual matters become front and center during the summer, but to an extent this go-round, safety Josh Metellus is an exception.
Vikings safety Josh Metellus mentioned his contract situation head-on this week. Here’s what he said, and what it means for his summer prognosis at training camp and so forth.
Metellus, already playing on a team-friendly deal, is scheduled to hit free agency in less than eight months, and now is the time for Minnesota to lock in his extension.
It’s just that a new contract hasn’t materialized yet. And thanks to Metellus personally, there’s an update.
The Vikings’ Contract Situation with Josh Metellus Takes Center Stage
Metellus is rather team-friendly about his desire to remain in Minnesota.
Josh Metellus Addresses Contract Fodder Head On
There’s been some mystery about Metellus’ contract, chiefly because the veteran safety “held in” at spring activities. That is — he showed up but didn’t physically participate much.
Still, Metellus showed up this week for the start of training camp, offering an encouraging update that should reduce all drama.
“I’m not too worried about what’s going on on that side. I’m just doing my part, being here for the team, trying to be a leader, a captain, and I can’t do that on the sideline. A big part of it is the guy I am in this building is a guy who’s out in front leading the way, so it makes no sense for me not to do it,” Metellus told reporters.
That sounds like a man — a team captain — who knows his agent will seal the deal on an extension before too long.
An Inevitable Outcome?
Metellus is a homegrown Viking. Former general manager Rick Spielman found Metellus in the 2020 NFL Draft, and after a year or two of finding his footing as a late-round selection, he began to bust into local stardom around 2022.
Fast forward to last season, and Metellus’ versatility is vital inside Brian Flores’ aggressive defense. The Vikings call him an “all-arounder,” and folks refer to him as a “Swiss army knife.”
Minnesota’s leadership has not hinted that Metellus’ contract ordeal will morph into a cliffhanger. It’s a bit of a no-brainer that a deal will get done.
Metellus a Necessity in 2025
And Minnesota needs Metellus.
Metellus’ teammate, friend, and celebration cohort, Camryn Bynum, left in free agency for the Indianapolis Colts in March, so Flores’ defense is already down one safety.
Metellus is also 27 years old, smack dab in the middle of his physical prime. Now is not the time to let Metellus walk. That’s a decision for three or four years from now when safeties — not named Harrison Smith — begin to decline.
The Vikings very much need Metellus this season and beyond.
How Much for the New Deal?
All contract extension theories are interpretive, but it’s a safe bet that Metellus will earn at least $10 million per his next contract.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah locked Metellus in on an affordable deal a couple of offseasons ago — two years and $8 million — and he’ll smash that paycheck before too long. It’s a reasonable assumption that Metellus will earn $10 to $12 million after his current contract expires at the end of this season.
For context, the highest-paid safety in the business is Kerby Joseph of the Detroit Lions — $21.25 million per year.
ESPN on Metellus
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert added more context about Metellus on Wednesday, “It’s one thing to sit out part of spring practices. It’s quite another, Minnesota Vikings safety Josh Metellus said Wednesday, to miss even a portion of training camp.”
“Metellus, one of the team’s key defensive players over the past two seasons, decided he would not extend his spring hold-in into the start of summer work. Despite not having an agreement on the contract extension he has been seeking, Metellus was a full participant in the Vikings’ first training camp practice on Wednesday.”
For the most part, the Vikings, under this leadership regime, rarely let contract matters become a distraction. Metellus is unlikely to become a notable example.
“Metellus signed a three-year contract extension in 2023 that will void after this season. This spring, he sat out 7-on-7 drills, which were the most intense periods of the Vikings’ practice plan,” Seifert continued.
“His approach left open the possibility he could continue to scale back his participation until the sides agree on a new deal or a salary upgrade for 2025, but he said it’s too close to the start of the season, in his mind, to do that.”
A new deal for Metellus should come to fruition in the next few weeks — almost certainly before the start of the regular season on September 8th, when Minnesota travels to Chicago for a Week 1 tryst.
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