Latest news with #KwesiAdofoMensah
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Vikings, versatile safety Josh Metellus agree to 3-year, $36M extension, AP source says
The Minnesota Vikings and versatile safety Josh Metellus agreed Saturday on a three-year, $36 million contract extension, according to a person familiar with details of the deal. Metellus, a 2020 sixth-round draft pick out of Michigan, is a key piece of coordinator Brian Flores' defense and has started 27 games the past two seasons while playing in multiple spots. The Vikings announced the extension for Metellus, but didn't provide financial terms. The person, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because terms weren't announced, said the contract includes $25 million in guaranteed money. Metellus was entering the final year of his deal, so the extension keeps him with the Vikings through 2028. 'Minnesota, I'm here, baby,' a smiling Metellus said at a news conference announcing the deal. 'I love it here. ... This place is home for me.' The 27-year-old Metellus has four career interceptions, five forced fumbles, 2 1/2 sacks and nearly 300 combined tackles in five NFL seasons. "Josh, since he got here has become a program player for us," general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said. 'He embodies the relentlessness and work ethic that we value in this team.' Metellus played primarily on special teams during his first two seasons, but saw an increased role on defense after Kevin O'Connell took over as the Vikings' head coach in 2022. Flores made Metellus a key contributor on defense when he joined O'Connell's staff in 2023, with O'Connell saying Metellus lined up in seven different spots last season. 'I don't like to get into the positions,' Metellus said. 'I just think I'm a damn good football player.' Metellus has also been a team captain for the Vikings. 'Such a vital part of our success on and off the field,' O'Connell said. 'It's hard to imagine them making them any better as a player and person than Josh Metellus. What he means to me, personally, our friendship, our bond we've formed, I'm 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.' ___ AP NFL:
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Vikings, versatile safety Josh Metellus agree to 3-year, $36M extension, AP source says
The Minnesota Vikings and versatile safety Josh Metellus agreed Saturday on a three-year $36 million contract extension, according to a person familiar with details of the deal. Metellus, a 2020 sixth-round draft pick out of Michigan, is a key piece of coordinator Brian Flores's defense and has started 27 games the past two seasons while playing in multiple spots. The Vikings announced the extension for Metellus but didn't provide financial terms. The person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because terms weren't announced said the contract includes $25 million in guaranteed money. Metellus was entering the final year of his deal, so the extension keeps him with the Vikings through 2028. 'Minnesota, I'm here baby,' a smiling Metellus said at a news conference announcing the deal. 'I love it here. … This place is home for me.' The 27-year-old Metellus has four career interceptions, five forced fumbles, 2 1/2 sacks, and nearly 300 combined tackles in five NFL seasons. 'Josh, since he got here, has become a program player for us,' general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said. 'He embodies the relentlessness and work ethic that we value in this team.' Metellus played primarily on special teams during his first two seasons but saw an increased role on defense after Kevin O'Connell took over as the Vikings' head coach in 2022. Flores made Metellus a key contributor on defense when he joined O'Connell's staff in 2023, with O'Connell saying Metellus lined up in seven different spots last season. 'I don't like to get into the positions,' Metellus said. 'I just think I'm a damn good football player.' Metellus has also been a team captain for the Vikings. 'Such a vital part of our success on and off the field,' O'Connell said. 'It's hard to imagine them making them any better as a player and person than Josh Metellus. What he means to me personally, our friendship, our bond we've formed, I'm 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.'
Yahoo
24-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kevin O'Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah send firm message about popular Vikings defender wanting new contract
Kevin O'Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah send firm message about popular Vikings defender wanting new contract originally appeared on A to Z Sports. The Minnesota Vikings enter training camp without a lot of issues in regards to contracts. They have already given out extensions to tight end Josh Oliver and edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel this offseason, but the one pending free agent who hasn't gotten an extension is safety Josh Metellus. Going into the 2023 season, the Vikings gave Metellus a two-year deal worth $8 million ahead of him being a starter for the first time. It paid off in droves, as Metellus has played nearly 2,000 snaps across the last two years and is one of the most important Vikings players. View the to see embedded media. Vikings in contract extension talks with Josh Metellus Despite going into the season without an extension, Metellus has reported to training camp. "I know Josh has been very much looking forward to training camp, getting going," said O'Connell. "He's one of our captains, one of our leaders, and even throughout the spring, was integral and kind of how Flo (Brian Flores), and the defensive group, are looking at 2025." Getting an extension done seems to be a priority for the Vikings, and it probably should be. He's been a massive asset to Brian Flores' defense. Adofo-Mensah mentioned that they have had "great dialogue" with his agent. "We have great dialogue with his agent. We'll continue to have that. We'll see. We'll navigate from there," said Adofo-Mensah The difficult part about a Metellus extension is figuring out how to quantify it. Versatility is a fantastic asset to have when it comes to the on-field play, but putting a dollar amount on what it's worth is difficult. With Metellus, do you pay him like a true safety? Nickel cornerback? Off ball linebacker? He does all three jobs regularly and does them well. When you sit down on either side of the table, that can be a major sticking point, and a likely reason why a deal hasn't been agreed upon as of yet. This situation will be worth monitoring moving forward, as Metellus did "hold in" during mandatory minicamp. View the to see embedded media. This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kevin O'Connell, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah preview Vikings training camp [RAW]
The Minnesota Vikings start training camp on Wednesday at TCO Performance Center. Kevin O'Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah gave an update on the team heading into their first practice.
Associated Press
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Vikings report for camp realizing the hard work required to better a 14-win season
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings were just hours into their offseason, eliminated from the playoffs with a lopsided loss, when Jonathan Greenard was moved to challenge himself and his teammates to embrace the hard work of trying to better a 14-4 record and avoid another one-and-done. 'More is required,' the veteran edge rusher posted on social media. Three months later, Greenard's spontaneous slogan turned into a T-shirt. The motivational swag was waiting for every player at his locker upon arrival for the start of strength and conditioning sessions in the spring. 'You can only control your individual effort, and as long as you do that, you're going to pull somebody else and they're going to see that and it's going to be infectious for the whole team, the whole building,' Greenard said earlier in the offseason, explaining the purpose of spreading the word beyond a simple tweet. The mantra has resonated throughout a well-regarded organization that will again field a well-built roster in 2025 but still faces questions about its viability as a championship contender. The Vikings, of course, are one of the few NFL teams that have existed for the entire Super Bowl era but never won one. 'Because clearly that scale hasn't been tipped for us,' right tackle Brian O'Neill said, 'and we need to find a way to make that happen.' As players reported to training camp this week, coach Kevin O'Connell turned up the volume on the messaging. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell each signed contract extensions during the offseason, keeping their job statuses in sync as they embark on their fourth year together while also raising the bar for expectations. The Vikings have not won a playoff game since they arrived, a drought going back to the 2019 season. 'We feel proud of some of the things we've accomplished, but at the same time I think it's time for all of us to continue to look inward first,' O'Connell said Tuesday at a joint news conference with Adofo-Mensah to formally kick off the season. 'It's time for us to acknowledge what we're actually trying to build here, and what that's going to take is — in my opinion — an invisible presence of understanding that we're capable but we've got to put in a lot of work to feel totally worthy in those moments to get to where we want to get to.' Darrisaw highlights list of healthy players The Vikings started only two players on the physically unable to perform list: tight end Gavin Bartholomew (back), their sixth-round draft pick, and linebacker Chaz Chambliss (foot), an undrafted rookie. That means left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who's recovering from reconstructive knee surgery after tearing his ACL last year, and new right guard Will Fries, whose 2024 season with the Indianapolis Colts ended early because of a broken leg, are right on track. O'Connell said both players would likely be limited to individual drills at the beginning of training camp to complete the ramping-up process, but the likelihood of having both key blockers ready for Week 1 is a vital boost for quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Addison could face suspension after resolution of court case Wide receiver Jordan Addison last week pleaded guilty to a lesser charge that resolved his 2024 drunken driving citation, clearing the way for potential discipline from the league. Adofo-Mensah said the Vikings have not been given an indication about the timing of such a decision. 'Obviously, when that originally happened, we knew that it was a possibility, but really you're talking about team building in general: You might not have players on the field for various reasons, and you've always got to be ready with depth,' Adofo-Mensah said. ___ AP NFL:
