Vikings give Theo Jackson starter money on new deal; Cam Bynum a goner?

The Vikings have signed Jackson to a two-year contract extension at a notable price point.

Jan 13, 2025; Glendale, AZ, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Theo Jackson (26) against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Vikings have agreed to terms with safety Theo Jackson on a two-year, $12.6 million contract extension, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero. The deal keeps Jackson — who was a restricted free agent — under contract through 2027, with the first two years fully guaranteed at signing.

That's low-end starter-level money for Jackson, who has been waiting his turn for such an opportunity since being signed by Minnesota in 2022. The immediate takeaway is that this might mean Camryn Bynum, who is one of the top unrestricted free agents at safety this year, is headed elsewhere.

This move confirms the long-held belief that the Vikings are big fans of Jackson, believing him to be a starting-caliber talent who happened to be stuck behind three established starters in one of the best safety rooms in the NFL. Over the past two seasons, he's been there as important depth behind Bynum, Harrison Smith, and Josh Metellus.

Now, with Bynum hitting free agency, Jackson could finally get his chance to take on a major role, even if Smith decides to come back for a 14th season. The Vikings really like Bynum, but he may end up landing a contract that's bigger than what Minnesota was willing to offer.

Jackson was an RFA so I think this is really a three-year, $15M extension through 2027 with the tender factored in

Much like Josh Metellus, who earned a two-year, $13M extension before his breakout, Vikings hoping again to get in on the ground floor before another breakout https://t.co/lldNQX6HRz

— Nick Olson (@NickOlsonNFL) March 6, 2025

After a standout career at Tennessee, Jackson was a sixth-round pick by the Titans in 2022. He was stashed on their practice squad when the Vikings — who needed a safety after first-round pick Lewis Cine's injury — poached him to their active roster in October of that year.

Since then, Jackson has impressed the coaching staff behind the scenes, thrived on special teams, and stepped up on defense whenever his number has been called. He's appeared in 45 games for the Vikings, playing over 900 special teams snaps and 222 on defense over the past three years. Jackson had an interception against the Eagles early in the 2023 season, and sealed a win over the Seahawks last year with the second pick of his career.

Vikings PICK to seal the game! #MINvsSEA pic.twitter.com/DAJnsq7TA2

— NFL (@NFL) December 23, 2024

The Vikings clearly believe that production can scale out to a starting role for Jackson, who turns 27 in October.

---

vStay up to date on all things Vikings by bookmarking Minnesota Vikings On SI, subscribing to our YouTube channel, and signing up to receive our free Vikings newsletter.