Vikings extending unheralded defender speaks volumes about his future while signals the end of fan favorite
The Minnesota Vikings were quick in striking their first deal ahead of free agency by extending safety Theo Jackson two years for $12.615 million. It wasn't the most expected name for the Vikings to extend, but it shows how much they value him. It was an important move for the Vikings, as they are set […]
The Minnesota Vikings were quick in striking their first deal ahead of free agency by extending safety Theo Jackson two years for $12.615 million. It wasn't the most expected name for the Vikings to extend, but it shows how much they value him.
It was an important move for the Vikings, as they are set to have four of their six starters in the secondary set to hit the market. The move is very interesting in a vacuum for the Vikings, as it tells us a lot of things about how they will be approaching the construction of the safety room.
Vikings extension of Theo Jackson sends multiple signals
The fallout from the Jackson signing is interesting to parse out. What the deal shows is the Vikings believe that Jackson is a starting-level player. It was evident early on during his time with the franchise that Jackson was a future starter after they claimed him off waivers from the Tennessee Titans. during training camp last year, he looked like the fourth starter at safety despite playing just 79 snaps. He did clinch the win against the Seattle Seahawks with an interception.
The numbers of the deal don't appear to be big on the surface. With his restricted free agent tender, the deal is essentially a three-year, $15.9 million contract. It's a really good value for a starting safety and mirrors the contract that teammate Josh Metellus signed ahead of the 2023 season.
Now, things have worked out really well for Metellus. His contract was a two-year, $8 million contract that could be worth up to $13 million with bonuses. They signed him to that contract after he played sparingly at safety in 2022, but played very well in those limited opportunities, including a game-sealing interception against the Lions early in the season.
The reason why the Vikings would have signed Jackson to this contract is the same as Metellus: they are buying high on who the player is right now to get surplus value at the end of the contract. Metellus has way outplayed his contract and is up for an extension and the expectation should be the same with Jackson.
What this also signals is the likely end of Camryn Bynum's time with the Vikings. The two sides have been trying to work out a contract, but have been unable to do so. It's likely that Bynum wants to be close to the top of the market — which is currently $20 million — but only six players are over $15 million per year at the position. The Vikings do value having multiple safeties, but not so much they would be willing to pay top dollar.
There is a glimmer of hope when it comes to Bynum staying: the status of Harrison Smith. He is guaranteed his $25 million base salary in 2026 if he's still on the roster on the third day of the league year. Now, considering both sides have been trying to agree on a new deal for quite some time, it's unlikely.
Bringing Jackson in is the first step toward rebuilding the secondary and it will have ramifications on how they attack free agency. Strap in for a wild ride.
