Unsung Viking Got a New Contract
The Minnesota Vikings are coming off a wonderful Week 1 victory over the New York Giants. Kevin O’Connell’s operation was slightly favored, but nobody expected the first three-score win since 2019. While the offense was efficient, the defense almost shut out Daniel Jones and his attack, limiting them to six points, and three of those came after C.J. Ham’s fumble in field goal range.
Unsung Viking Got a New Contract
Brian Flores, defensive coordinator in his second season, deserves a lot of credit for turning that unit around after the horrendous 2022 season under the watch of Ed Donatell and the shaky Mike Zimmer years before that.
The personnel changed in the last couple of years, as the entire pass-rushing group is new, and the cornerback room has seen many guys come in and leave again.
One constant, however, has been defensive tackle Harrison Phillips. The 28-year-old was one of the first major signings of the new regime in 2022. About 30 months later, the Vikings reward him by giving him a two-year contract extension, according to Tom Pelissero.
The Vikings are signing veteran DT Harrison Phillips to a two-year contract extension worth up to $19 million with over $13M guaranteed, per sources. A 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award nominee, Phillips is now locked in with Minnesota through 2026.
Once again, Phillips is the top guy on Minnesota’s defensive line, the first line of defense against the run. For Sunday’s season opener, Phillips received a PFF grade north of 80, ranking him fourth on the defense.
Unusual for him is the registered sack, something he doesn’t do too frequently. He added another QB hurry and five tackles and dominated New York’s offensive line.
The area in which he excels is the running game, that’s why the franchise has been paying him, and that’s why they will keep paying him for 16 more games in 2024, plus two additional seasons.
In a larger sample size, the full 2023 campaign, the Vikings had a fairly good run defense, and Phillips’ presence was a big reason for that. According to DVOA, the team ranked 13th against the run in 2023, and the Vikes allowed only 3.8 yards per carry, ranking the team in the top five league-wide.
In his two seasons (and one game) with the Vikings, Phillips has recorded 156 tackles, 13 QB hits, and 5.5 sacks. He played in all 35 contests. His 92 tackles in 2023 easily set a new career high, and his three sacks and the 839 snaps also eclipsed previous marks.
Phillips is the starting nose tackle and will be flanked by teammates Jerry Tillery and Jonathan Bullard. The Vikings also hope to get some contributions from rookie Levi Drake Rodriguez down the line.
Just as significant as his on-field contributions is his locker-room presence as a vocal leader, and undoubtedly even more important is his work outside of football. Phillips was Minnesota’s 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee for his work with his foundation, Harrison’s Playmakers. The foundation is “committed to coaching and mentoring children facing social, physical, and economic challenges.”
Phillips earned his new deal and is now scheduled to man the middle of the line for the next 50 regular games.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus, FTN Fantasy, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Within the Strong Week 1, The Vikings Sprung a Leak
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