A week ago, Vikings safety Josh Metellus was named a 2023 team captain.
Now three days before Sunday’s season opener, the former late-round pick has been rewarded with a two-year extension with $6 million guaranteed and worth up to $13 million, a league source confirmed. Metellus was scheduled to be a free agent next spring.
Metellus, the 2020 sixth-round pick, has seen his role grow this summer after being a core special teams contributor since he entered the NFL. Under coordinator Brian Flores, Metellus has earned reps at multiple spots as a versatile defender capable of lining up at safety, in the slot, or as a linebacker in Flores’ “dime” package that features six defensive backs on the field.
He said growth accelerated last year, when Metellus got his first NFL start for safety Harrison Smith and sealed a Vikings win by intercepting Lions quarterback Jared Goff.
“Not playing much my first two years, I didn’t really know if I could play defense, you know?” Metellus said in July. “I always had that confidence, but not getting the reps — you never know. Being able to actually get out there last year and play against top-tier competition, I would say that built my confidence up tremendously.”
“I always knew the systems I’d been playing in, so it was never a question of knowing my job,” he added. “It was always if I could play with the great ones. I know I can now. It’s just a lot of confidence built up, and it’s showing on the field.”
Metellus was voted as one of eight 2023 team captains by his peers, which he called “the highest honor you can get.”
“Especially from your teammates when we vote,” Metellus said on Monday. “The first few years in the league, we didn’t vote for captains. It was kind of a coach thing. These past couple years being voted by your peers — the guys who matter the most — I think that’s the highest honor.”
Within the last six weeks, the Vikings have agreed to new deals with edge rusher Danielle Hunter, tight end T.J. Hockenson and Metellus.
Negotiations with receiver Justin Jefferson are ongoing, with a deadline, of sorts, coming in Sunday’s opener against the Buccaneers. Jefferson is under contract with the Vikings through at least 2024 (including the fifth-year option), and the team has the franchise tag for beyond that. But both sides have wanted to get a long-term deal done as soon as possible.