The decision-makers in charge of the Minnesota Vikings rightfully receive lots of credit for lots of things.
The reigning NFL Coach of the Year, Kevin O’Connell’s acumen is discussed regularly. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s loaded free-agent classes understandably earn praise.
One component of their leadership, though, has gone a tad unnoticed. When players seek new contracts, and the Vikings don’t immediately accept the preferred terms, the situation rarely escalates.
In the last three years, has a single Vikings player taken to social media to air his grievances? Or, more to the point, has the team failed to find an agreement with a player it has viewed as a future cornerstone?
Superstar receiver Justin Jefferson inked his new deal without any public mayhem. Elite left tackle Christian Darrisaw signed his extension with no hoopla.
Of course, not every negotiation was as seamless as those two. Edge rusher Danielle Hunter and tight end T.J. Hockenson delayed their training camp involvement, but even those two eventually found common ground without much more than a hiccup.
The players and their agents play a role in the professionalism. Jefferson handled his situation with particular grace, especially given his status as an elite receiver.
Still, it takes two to tango, and the frequency with which the Vikings have orchestrated these contracts without conspicuous snags is a testament to the approach O’Connell, Adofo-Mensah and even cap whiz Rob Brzezinski have taken — not to mention the relationships they foster and maintain.
This brings us to the current player idling at a fork in the road: Josh Metellus. The veteran safety is under contract through the 2025 season — then his contract will void. Not surprisingly, he’d like an extension. The Vikings recognize that and view him as a key cog in the present and future of their defense. How could they not?
“Josh is as valuable a player on the roster as we have,” defensive coordinator Brian Flores said last fall.
Metellus checks all of the boxes. Age isn’t an issue; Metellus recently turned 27. Injuries haven’t been a problem. Metellus has played more than 2,000 defensive snaps combined over the last two seasons. His production stands out, too. In the last two seasons, Metellus has totaled more than 150 tackles, five forced fumbles, three interceptions and 10 pass deflections. To top it off, he is a leader in the locker room, a captain respected by veterans and a trusted confidant for young players.
Why, then, has an extension not occurred? The answer comes down to money. A player’s worth is never explicit, but Metellus’ situation represents a more interesting conversation than most.
Consider former Vikings safety Cam Bynum, for example. Like Metellus, Bynum was young, durable and beloved internally. Unlike Metellus, Bynum played one position almost 100 percent of the time. He and his agent could scan the recent history of extensions at safety, pluck a few names and numbers and pencil in Bynum’s value in a sensible spot. (He got a four-year, $60 million deal from the Indianapolis Colts.)
You cannot do that for Metellus because he isn’t a traditional safety. His role in the Vikings’ defense is truly unique. It is unlike anyone or anything else.
Last year, Metellus played about 40 percent of his snaps at linebacker, 30 percent at slot cornerback and 16 percent at safety. The rest of the time, he lined up on the defensive line or out wide against elite receivers.
So, from a compensation standpoint, what’s fair? Paying Metellus like a linebacker? Like a slot cornerback? Or like a chess piece who can reliably play all of these positions?
There is a drastic gap in pay between those various worlds. A linebacker of a similar age (think Ernest Jones) earns about $9.5 million a year, whereas a similarly aged Swiss Army knife safety (think Kyle Dugger) earns about $14.5 million a year. Whether the Vikings and Metellus can find a sweet spot depends on the answers to two questions.
Metellus must ask himself how important the security is of knowing his team, the defensive system and, of course, his future compensation. The Vikings must ask themselves how willing they are to perform a complete overhaul of their safety room in the span of two seasons. Metellus could roll the dice like Bynum, play out the 2025 season and create a market for himself via free agency. Would that guarantee more money than Minnesota is willing to pay now? The Vikings could remain firm in their offer and allow Metellus to test the market. Would they be underestimating Metellus’ distinctiveness?
Maybe the most underrated aspect of what Metellus brings to the table is his mind. You can find plenty of 5-foot-11, 207-pound defenders who played at the pinnacle of college football and possess the physical traits to compete in the NFL. But how many of them have the fortitude to navigate being waived? How many of them are cerebral enough to learn as many positions as Metellus has in Flores’ system? And how many of them can process the field the way Metellus does? These are the types of points Metellus’ agent, Drew Rosenhaus, will bear in mind as he pitches his client’s value.
Minnesota will hear Rosenhaus out the same way it did for Darrisaw and, more recently, edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel. Until Metellus and the Vikings find a palatable number, don’t expect much more from either side than what Metellus said during minicamp: “That’s between Drew and the boys upstairs. I’ll let Drew handle that.”
The beginning of training camp presents one potential deadline, even if it’s fairly arbitrary. Metellus does not need many practice reps to perform in Flores’ defense. Nor do the Vikings need to see Metellus on the field in practice to know what he can do. The conviction from both sides almost underscores their shared fit. Why would either side be willing to move on if it has as much faith as it does in one another?
