Vikings Re-Sign Potential Starting Defender

The Minnesota Vikings will be busy within the next week, with free agency right around the corner. Various contributors are set to enter free agency with the option to cash in, while the Vikings have some cap space to re-sign or replace them.

Vikings Re-Sign Potential Starting Defender

General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has to rebuild his entire secondary because the top four cornerbacks (Byron Murphy Jr., Stephon Gilmore, Shaq Griffin, and Fabian Moreau) are all impending free agents, and so is safety Camryn Bynum. Harrison Smith’s future is also uncertain.

One man who could take over one of the vacant roles is Theo Jackson, a premier backup of the club for three years. On Thursday, half a week ahead of free agency, the Vikings agreed to terms with him.

Tom Pelissero reported, “The #Vikings and safety Theo Jackson agreed to terms on a two-year, $12.615 million extension through 2027, with the first two years fully guaranteed at signing, per source. Deal done by Equity Sports Agency.”

His agency Equity Sports Agency posted on X: “Congratulations to Vikings safety Theo Jackson on agreeing to a 2-year extension through 2027, worth $12.615M, including the first two years fully guaranteed at signing.”

Jackson got a significant raise, one that could mean that he is in line for an increased role and a promotion, similar to last year’s contract extension of backup offensive lineman Blake Brandel. His contract also indicated a bigger role, and he ultimately claimed the starting left guard job after spending years as a backup tackle and guard.

Another comparison is that of fellow safety Joshua Metellus. Making a name for himself as a special teams ace in his first three seasons, he signed a contract extension in the first offseason after Brian Flores’s arrival before ever playing a big role on defense. That deal was comparable to Jackson’s new contract, and he has massively outplayed that salary.

Jackson hasn’t gotten much run on defense, but whenever the team needed him to step up, he did.

Jackson has played in 43 games in three seasons with the purple team, registering a pair of interceptions as well as 47 tackles.

When Smith was forced to sit out last season’s game in Seattle, it was Jackson who played an increased role and sealed the game with a Geno Smith interception late in the contest.

The 26-year-old spent his college career playing for the University of Tennessee. Jackson showcased intriguing speed at his pro day when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.46 seconds. He fell to the sixth round and his hometown team, the Tennessee Titans, ended his tumble. The safety was born in Nashville, Tennessee.

He failed to make the initial 53-man roster and was stashed on Tennessee’s practice squad but didn’t have to wait long. The Vikings called and signed him following Lewis Cine’s leg fracture in 2022. In his rookie season, Jackson appeared in 11 games with the Vikings, primarily as a special teams player. He logged 18 snaps on defense and 275 on special teams.

When Flores arrived, Jackson continued to show promise, and he made the team in 2023, this time playing 126 snaps in Flores’ safety rotation. He, once again, played a vital role on special teams. The coordinator is a big fan of versatile defenders, and Jackson checks that box. Similarly to Metellus, he played all over the field in his limited snaps, lining up as a true safety, a linebacker, in the slot, or as an outside cornerback.

In 2024, he again played a limited role, logging 78 snaps on defense and 340 on special teams.

The Vikings now have three safeties under contract. Besides Metellus and Jackson, the team also employs 2023 fourth-rounder Jay Ward. He was behind Jackson in the safety rotation a year ago.

Jackson, 26, is a name to watch in training camp unless Adofo-Mensah adds at least a pair of safeties in the next five months.

Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus, Over the Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.

Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt