Vikings Grab a New Safety
On Tuesday, the Minnesota Vikings finalized their initial 53-man roster, but that remains fluid, of course. The one change since was the acquisition of wideout Adam Thielen, while Tim Jones was demoted to the practice squad. On that practice squad, the Vikings had one slot open, and a new safety will take it.
Vikings Grab a New Safety
The Vikings announced via social media on Thursday, “The #Vikings have signed S K’Von Wallace to the practice squad.”
A veteran defender, Wallace tried out for the Vikings earlier in the week and found his new team. The new defender might be insurance in case future Ring of Honor member Harrison Smith isn’t available to start the year.
Smith is dealing with a “personal health matter.” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert posted on social media the same day the Vikings added Wallace, “Sources say Harrison Smith, who last practiced Aug. 11, is recovering from a personal health issue and is expected to make a full recovery. The Vikings haven’t put him on IR, and he was named a 2025 captain. Will be evaluated weekly. Vikings open the season in 11 days at Bears.”
Since Smith was not placed on IR, it doesn’t appear to be a long-term absence. Having another player with NFL experience in the building makes sense either way.
Wallace signed with the New York Giants last month, but didn’t survive roster cuts. Chris Pflum of the Big Blue Review wrote about the release, “It was thought that Wallace was a real contender to make the Giants’ roster as the fourth safety thanks to his time with Shane Bowen at Tennessee and experience with the defensive scheme. Instead, he was one of the first 10 players cut, leaving Raheem Layne, Dane Belton, and rookie Makari Paige behind Tyler Nubin and Jevon Holland.”
The defender is 28 years old and was a 2020 draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles. With Clemson, Wallace won two championships, but he lost his lone Super Bowl participation with the Eagles in the 2022 season.
Still, he appeared in that game. With the Eagles, he suited up 45 times in the regular season and mostly played a minor role on defense while competing on special teams. That’s pretty much what Joshua Metellus’ and Theo Jackson’s early careers looked like.
The two Vikings managed to stick around and grab a bigger role, while Wallace was let go by the Eagles ahead of season four. Since then, he has been trying to find his footing, having stints with the Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, Seattle Seahawks, and, recently, five weeks with the New York Giants. Last season’s tenure with the Seahawks was cut short due to an injury that cost him the second half of the campaign.
Over his NFL career, Wallace has played in 71 games with 19 starts, logging one interception and 168 tackles in over 2,400 total snaps (966 on special teams).
Practice squad players can always be called up for games, and if Smith isn’t back by Week 1, the Vikings might need Wallace as a depth player. Besides Smith, Metellus, and Jackson, the club employs safeties Jay Ward and Tavierre Thomas on the 53-man roster and now Wallace and Kahlef Hailassie on the practice squad.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.