Next Defensive Captain Goes Under the Knife
Injuries have been an issue all year for the Minnesota, and once a team is eliminated, it makes even more sense than usual to prioritize long-term health over short-term results. Shutting down players for the season is not unusual, and you can add Josh Metellus to the list.
Josh Metellus Done for the Year
The versatile safety won’t see the field in the final three games of the season, as he’s set to undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. That injury has bugged him for weeks, but the team captain played through it as long as possible. With the playoffs now mathematically out of reach, getting it fixed is the logical consequence.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell announced the pending procedure on Wednesday and praised his leader: “We had just been evaluating that shoulder on a week-in-week-out basis and got home late Sunday, and through some of the medical evaluations on Monday and yesterday, it’s been determined that he’s gonna get his shoulder fixed as well. Just not stable enough from a medical perspective. [Our medical staff] feel like this is the right time to not risk possibly injuring it any more and go ahead and get that thing fixed.”
On Monday, the head coach chatted with the media about Jonathan Greenard’s season-ending shoulder surgery. Both players are team captains and cornerstones of Brian Flores’ unit, as well as vocal leaders for the team. Greenard is the primary pass-rusher who allows Flores to get away with some risky shenanigans around him, while Metellus’ versatility helps him disguise things better.
“Kind of along the same lines as [Jonathan Greenard], one of our captains and a guy I could not respect more than the toughness he’s shown playing with that injury,” O’Connell added about Metellus. “As we’ve kind of approached the tail end of the season and just pushed through a lot this year, continuing to lead at such a high standard.”
Both guys will be “heavily involved in the locker room” going forward, but they won’t be available in games.
Metellus had his breakout season in 2023, the first year of Flores leading the squad. While Harrison Smith and Cam Bynum handled the safety duties, Flores figured out that Metellus was too good to remain in a backup role and elevated him into the starting lineup. Playing linebacker, safety, and cornerback, he lined up all over the field to create maximum chaos for opposing quarterbacks.
A Pro Bowl-caliber season was followed by a pretty good one in 2024. This year, his role changed. Bynum departed and Smith was out early in the year. That led to more time in the deep safety role for the former Michigan Wolverine.
He’s still a decent player, but he hasn’t had the same impact playing closer to the line of scrimmage, which could prompt the Vikings to sign or draft a safety or two to address that issue.
Starting all 14 games, Metellus logged two interceptions, 86 tackles, and 0.5 sacks in his sixth NFL campaign.
He signed a contract extension in the summer and won’t go anywhere.
More Snaps for Young Backups
Harrison Smith will continue to start in the secondary. The other safety starter will either be Jay Ward or Theo Jackson. The latter entered the season as a starter, but has recently been shuffled to the bench in favor of Ward. Of course, playing the full-time role is a different deal, so Jackson’s return to the starting unit can’t be ruled out despite the hierarchy change.
It should be expected that either one or both of those guys will play big-time snap counts for the remainder of the season. They will get the chance to audition for a 2026 starting spot.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.