Vikings, Josh Metellus react to contract extension: 'This place is home'

The Vikings announced on Saturday that ultra-versatile safety Josh Metellus has signed a three-year contract extension to remain with the team long-term. Instead of going into the final year of his previous deal, the 27-year-old Metellus is now under contract for the next four seasons.

The deal is for $36 million over three years, with a maximum possible value of $42 million. It comes with $25 million guaranteed. Including the 2025 season, it's more or less a four-year, $40 million deal, which projects as great value for the Vikings, given that Metellus is a high-level starting safety — and a uniquely versatile player in Brian Flores' defense — who is in the heart of his prime.

This always felt like the logical outcome. Metellus has made it clear on numerous occasions that he loves Minnesota and doesn't want to be anywhere else.

"I'm here, baby," he said. "I genuinely love it here. This place is home for me. I want to finish my career here. I feel like I embody exactly what we want to build here. I want to win a ring for this city. I understand the city is due for something big, so I'm just pouring everything I have into this."

It took some time to negotiate the specifics of the deal, but the Vikings always wanted to keep Metellus around as well. Not only is he a perfect fit in their scheme, he's a leader, team captain, and beloved teammate who elevates the people around him.

"Multi-year captain since I've been here, such a vital part of our success on and off the field," head coach Kevin O'Connell said when announcing the news. "It's hard to imagine them making 'em any better, as a player and person, than Josh Metellus. What he means to me personally, our friendship, our bond we've formed — absolutely thrilled for Josh, his family, and Vikings fans, that they get to see him for years to come in a role that's become really special to him and how he's attacked it and helped us become what we are defensively."

"Josh, since we've gotten here, has become a program player for us," GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said. "He embodies the relentlessness, the work ethic that we value in this team. His story is a story of undeniable determination. It's a story that Josh should be proud of, not only for himself but also an example for his teammates. Just really excited to keep him in this community we have. One of the reasons why this sport is so special is because of the relationships, and Josh has made some incredible relationships with everybody in this building."

Metellus came into the league as a sixth-round pick out of Michigan in 2020. He was cut as a rookie and placed on the practice squad before eventually earning a roster spot. Metellus played mostly on special teams over his first three seasons, but the Vikings envisioned a bigger role for him on defense when they signed him to a two-year, $8 million extension prior to the 2023 season. That was the year he broke out as a do-it-all star for Flores, lining up all over the field and stuffing the stat sheet. Over the past two seasons, he's solifidied himself as a critical piece of the Vikings' defensive operation.

"My journey is a crazy one," Metellus said. "Sixth-round pick, get into the building COVID year, and before I can even realize that I'm a Viking, I was cut. That moment alone helped shape me into who I am today. Just having that mindset that nothing in this world is given to you, especially in this league, and you have to go earn everything that you want.

"For me to stand here and be that voice and that front face for guys in the locker room right now who feel like they weren't seen — you come out to these practices and you have a good practice, but you go into film room and coaches don't even say your name or you're not looked at — I just always tell those guys keep going and have that confidence. I had to build that confidence in myself before I could ever be that player."

There's no other player in the league who does the same things Metellus does. He's a safety by name, but he aligns at linebacker, as a slot corner, on the defensive line, and at a dozen other spots. It's a unique role that's been created for him because of his versatile physical skill set as well as his remarkable football IQ.

"(He's played) inside the box as a linebacker type, he can be a down safety, he can play big nickel, he can play man-to-man coverage at all five spots," O'Connell said. "We've put him on the Christian McCaffreys of the world, we've put him on dynamic tight ends, bigger slot receivers. It allows our corners to stay matched and then also hold a lot of the disguise that we want to show as well."

Metellus and the Vikings have proven to be an ideal match for each other. This extension ensures that their partnership will continue for years to come as they chase a championship.

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