Under General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, the Minnesota Vikings have excelled at two key strategies: signing players to value-driven contracts and rewarding those who outperform their deals. A prime example is edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel, who signed a two-year, $20 million contract before the 2024 season. After a career-best year earning second-team All-Pro honors, the Vikings rewarded him with a one-year, $23 million extension. This approach highlights Adofo-Mensah’s ability to balance fiscal responsibility with rewarding performance.
Josh Metellus: A Home Run Signing
One of Adofo-Mensah’s standout moves was signing safety Josh Metellus to a two-year, $8 million extension before the 2023 season. At the time, Metellus had primarily played as a reserve, with only one start in 2022—though that start ended memorably with a game-sealing interception. Over the next two seasons, Metellus transitioned into a full-time starter, showcasing his exceptional versatility and skill in the back seven of the defense. His ability to play multiple roles earned him the moniker of a “Swiss Army Knife,” but it’s this very versatility that complicates his next contract.
The Versatility Dilemma
Metellus’ value lies in his ability to line up all over the defense, making him a unique asset under defensive coordinator Brian Flores. His 2024 regular-season snap counts illustrate his diverse pre-snap alignments:
Defensive Line: 62 snaps
Box: 493 snaps
Slot Cornerback: 320 snaps
Outside Cornerback: 29 snaps
Free Safety: 84 snaps
Kick Coverage: 98 snaps
Punt Coverage: 3 snaps
Punt Return: 48 snaps
FG Block: 61 snaps
Total: 1,198 snaps
This positional flexibility creates a challenge for contract negotiations. How do you assign a dollar value to a player who doesn’t fit neatly into one position? Is Metellus a safety, a slot cornerback, or something in between? The financial markets for these positions differ significantly, adding complexity to the discussions.
The Safety and Slot Cornerback Markets
To understand Metellus’ potential contract, let’s examine the current market for safeties and slot cornerbacks. At the top of the safety market, Kerby Joseph earns $21.25 million per season, while Camryn Bynum, a former teammate, ranks 10th at $15 million annually. The safety market drops off sharply after the top tier, with Julian Love at 15th earning $11 million and Andre Cisco at 20th making $8.5 million.
The slot cornerback market operates in a different realm. While the top overall cornerback, Derek Stingley Jr., earns $30 million per year, the top slot cornerback, Kyler Gordon, ranks 21st among cornerbacks at $13.33 million annually. The fifth-ranked slot cornerback, Kenny Moore, earns $10 million per season, tying for 29th among cornerbacks.
Quantifying the Intangibles
Metellus’ value extends beyond raw statistics. His intelligence, versatility, and ability to execute across multiple roles are intangibles that are difficult to quantify in contract negotiations. Unlike players with clear positional comparables, Metellus’ diverse skill set makes it challenging to find an exact market match. However, one potential comparison is Houston Texans’ Jalen Pitre, who primarily plays slot cornerback but also aligns in the box and on the defensive line for roughly a third of his snaps. A contract around $13 million per year for Metellus would align with Pitre’s role and reflect the value he brings while rewarding him for outplaying his current deal.
Adofo-Mensah’s Track Record
Adofo-Mensah has a history of securing team-friendly deals while ensuring players are fairly compensated. With Metellus reportedly engaging in a hold-in, time is of the essence to finalize an extension. While his versatility makes it difficult to pinpoint an exact figure, the market provides some guidelines. A deal in the range of $13 million per year would place Metellus competitively among both safeties and slot cornerbacks, balancing his unique contributions with the Vikings’ commitment to value.
Prediction
Given Metellus’ performance and the market dynamics, a fair extension could look like this: 3 years, $34.5 million, with $23 million fully guaranteed. This structure rewards Metellus for his breakout performance while maintaining the Vikings’ philosophy of securing value-driven contracts.
If anyone can navigate the complexities of this deal, it’s Adofo-Mensah. His ability to balance player value with team needs will be key to keeping Metellus—a critical piece of the Vikings’ defense—in purple for years to come.