Vikings HC Admits He Forgot 1 Game Ball
The Minnesota Vikings made one of the best moves in franchise history when they appointed Kevin O’Connell as their new head coach in 2022. A fresh breath of air arrived in Minnesota, and the young, offensive-minded skipper has brought exactly what the organization needed to the Twin Cities.
Vikings HC Admits He Forgot 1 Game Ball
After every win, the Vikings social media team shares his electric locker room speeches through their airwaves, and so did they on Monday when the club clinched the season series against the Chicago Bears and tied the Detroit Lions with a 12-2 record for the lead in the NFC North.
The game ball recipients were running back and touchdown scorer Aaron Jones, pass-rusher and strip sacker Jonathan Greenard, linebacker and hometown hero Blake Cashman, unsung defensive tackle Jerry Tillery, and flawless rookie kicker Will Reichard.
At Tuesday’s press conference, however, O’Connell told the media that he would give out a belated game ball to versatile defender Joshua Metellus.
In addition to the game balls we gave up post-game, a guy that jumped off the tape and he doesn’t know this yet, but Josh Metellus will get a game ball tomorrow from me at the team meeting. Huge for our captain to be flying around lined up [in] a thousand different spots and impacted the game inside, outside, second level, all those things. Wanted to highlight Josh.
Metellus has been a team captain in the previous two seasons and the Vikings extended his contract prior to last season before he even had a big role on defense and was primarily a special teams player and backup on defense.
With Brian Flores‘ arrival in the 2023 offseason, his career changed. Flores loves versatile defenders, so he created a defense that featured Metellus on almost every play. He lined up all over the place, and he was fantastic at it.
As the traditional safety spots remain occupied by starters Harrison Smith and Cam Bynum, Metellus continues to play a hybrid role that includes inside and outside linebacker duties as well as slot cornerback play. He rushes the passer, covers, and stops the run, and his positioning is the ultimate joker because signal-callers have no clue where he will end up during the play.
Asked about Metellus’ importance, O’Connell said, “I think it can’t be [overstated], his role within our defense. Yes, he’s a safety, but he lines up everywhere. [He has] so many different jobs and the way he handles it snap to snap is probably the most important thing because a lot of guys play the same spot, get into a rhythm, you start to see tendencies and tells. He’s got to do those things from two or three different spots. His football IQ is off the charts.”
Metellus has appeared in all 14 games this year, logging 818 defensive snaps, or 87%. Only Smith, Bynum, and cornerback Byron Murphy have played more defensive snaps in the 2024 campaign.
In those opportunities, Metellus has registered 88 tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions, and one forced fumble. Pro Football Focus ranks him as the third-best safety in run defense, which is certainly playing a role in the team’s elite rushing defense.
Before the season kicked off, the Vikings restructured his contract, adding three void years to the deal. Because his role changed so much, he will almost certainly earn a new deal, including a significant raise, but the CBA prevents a player from signing a contract extension in back-to-back years.
Signing that extension in the upcoming offseason seems likely. He is currently scheduled to enter free agency in 2026.
Metellus remains a fixture in Minnesota’s defense, and the 26-year-old team captain is one of the most important players on the entire roster, whether he’s listed as a starter or not.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, 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