With the Jefferson Deal Done, Here Are 3 Other Vikings Who Could Get Contract Extensions This Summer
On Monday morning, Vikings star wide receiver Justin Jefferson agreed to a massive contract extension.
The deal will keep Jefferson in Minnesota through the 2028 season, thus ensuring that the Vikings will benefit from his services, and namely, young QB J.J. McCarthy. With Jefferson’s deal now in the rearview, who could be next up for a contract extension in Minnesota? Here is a look at three potential candidates.
LT Christian Darrisaw
Christian Darrisaw, Minnesota’s first-round pick in 2021, has been one of the best left tackles in the entire league over the past couple years.
Currently, the highest paid offensive tackle in the NFL is Penei Sewell, who signed a four-year contract with the Detroit Lions that will pay him $112 million over the course of four seasons, averaging $28 million per year. Expect Darrisaw’s contract to come close to this number when the time arrives.
S Camryn Bynum
After being selected in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Camryn Bynum took over a starting role in 2022. However, the second-year safety seemed a bit in over his head in this role, and he struggled a bit in coverage. PFF graded him at just 50.9 in coverage during the 2022 season, which ranked 57th among 66 safeties with at least 400 snaps.
However, Bynum’s career was completely revived in Brian Flores’ defense this past season. The safety had a tremendous 2023 campaign, and he was a huge reason for Minnesota’s defensive success. PFF graded him at 69.7 in coverage, which ranked 21st among 50 safeties with at least 400 coverage snaps.
Especially with Harrison Smith approaching the end of his career, and Bynum only having one year left on his contract, the Vikings should be thinking about the future of their safety position.
DT Harrison Phillips
Harrison Phillips has been a steady presence on the Vikings’ defense over the past two years. He has not missed a single game since signing with the team in 2022, starting all 34 regular season games. In 2023, Phillips recorded a career-high three sacks on top of his usual run-stuffing duties.
The defensive tackle just turned 28 years old in January, so he certainly should have at least a couple more productive seasons in front of him. Perhaps the Vikings consider keeping Phillips locked in for the long-term as he enters the final year of his three-year contract.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Focus, Pro Football Reference, and Spotrac.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.