The Minnesota Vikings have only played on game in the 2024 season against the New York Giants on Sunday and the excitement is still real. There are a different set of expectations for the 2024 season than there will be moving forward, as it feels like a transition year.
Sam Darnold is set to be the quarterback for the Vikings in 2024 and it could lead to a renaissance season like Geno Smith had with the Seattle Seahawks in 2022. Even so, this season feels like a preparation year for a potential Super Bowl window from 2025-2029 with a lot of young players set to receive playing time.
As they prepare for the next step, the Vikings opened up some salary cap space by restructuring tight end T.J. Hockenson's contract which cleared nearly $7 million in salary cap space. Does that mean the Vikings are preparing for an extension? They very well could be and multiple players could be eligible.
DT Harrison Phillips
The Vikings' defensive line is arguably the weakest in the National Football League. They will be relying on three rookies as their rotational players and that is not a recipe for success. It could be a brilliant move for development but that doesn't mean it will matter for immediate returns.
Phillips has been a very solid player on the defensive line but he isn't quite on the eleven of being a difference maker. That could complicate matters with a contract extension, as Phillips might ask for more than the Vikings are willing to pay with the market for non-Chris Jones DTs being around $25-28 million. I do think there is a price that could be agreed to between both parties, especially if they keep the guarantees high.
Projected extension: 3 years, $36 million, $20 million guaranteed.
CB Byron Murphy Jr.
One of the tough aspects about the cornerback room for the Vikings is the lack of talent locked up after the season. Mekhi Blackmon, Akayleb Evans and Dwight McGlothern are the only ones under contract for 2025 and that is Evans' final year of his rookie deal. That aspect is a frustrating one for fans, but it's also an unfortunate consequence of losing Khyree Jackson this April to a car accident.
Murphy is in the final year of his deal but has played well for the Vikings. He does have three void years on his contract, meaning that an extension could have the Vikings with similar cap hits for Murphy next year. He might not be a true CB1, but the versatility and talent he has is something you want to have in your cornerback room.
Predicted extension: 3 years, $30 million, $16.5 million guaranteed
S Josh Metellus
Metellus is an interesting case. The Vikings signed Metellus to an extension on September 7th, 2023 which means he is eligible to sign a new extension one year from that date. His initial extension was two years, $8 million and he certainly outplayed it in 2023.
The intriguing aspect about giving Metellus an extension now is that he is eligible is how to structure it. He was a starter for just one season but was very good as a swiss army knife in playing multiple roles for the defense. Metellus also has two years left on his contract and might be apt to let this year play out before wanting an extension. Something to keep in mind: the Vikings did just restructure his contract to add void years, meaning they could be more versatile with an extension.
Predicted extension: three years, $25 million, $14.5 million guaranteed
S Camryn Bynum
Bynum has already had discussions with the team about a potential extension. SKOR North's Darren Wolfson reported that on the Scoops podcast with Mackey and Judd.
“I’ve mentioned previously, there is mutual interest, there has been dialogue on a Cam Bynum extension. But from my sense, there’s just no real momentum, heading into Sunday. It could always change, right? We know that both sides are motivated to get a deal done. I just think that’s a tricky [extension to get done].
"He got the escalator so he’s making good money this year, making like three-ish million dollars, so it’s not like cam is yearning right this second, to sign an extension. You look at the safety market, from March, it has exploded. The cap is going up, up, up. So there is Cam Bynum motivation, just to play this thing out, get to unrestricted free agency, next March. But I’m not ruling it out, just based on, hey, there have been discussions, there is mutual interest.”
That would be a great get for the Vikings, as Bynum is one of the big wins from the 2021 NFL Draft and the last piece to the Stefon Diggs trade. It also could make sense to want to wait it out. Young safeties have been getting paid while veterans have had to wait for contracts. Xavier McKinney just got a deal valued at over $17 million and Bynum might think he can get close to that. If the Vikings can get a deal done, it would be a huge benefit for them.
