Vikings Agree to Five-Year Contract Extension With Brandon Fusco
By Dan Zinski
The Vikings have talked a lot about the value of continuity on their offensive line, and now they’re putting some more of Zygi Wilf’s money where their mouth is.
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Per Tom Pelissero of USA Today, the Vikings have agreed to a five-year contract extension with right guard Brandon Fusco worth $25 million with $6 million guaranteed.
The 26-year-old Fusco was taken in the sixth round of the 2011 draft, a project player with seemingly little chance of ever developing into a bedrock starter.
But Fusco was given an opportunity to develop by the Vikings and, under the guidance of offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, develop he did.
The process was not without its bumps in the road of course. In 2012, the Vikings felt the need to push Fusco a little by signing Geoff Schwartz as a free agent and giving Schwartz some reps in platoon.
The push was seemingly just what Fusco needed to take the next step. In 2013, he grew into a true force on the right side of the line alongside Phil Loadholt. Big Fusco and Big Phil now give the Vikings one of the best run-blocking tandems in the league.
With Fusco’s extension, the Vikings now know they will have four-fifths of their O-line in place for the next few years. They are hoping that rookie David Yankey can become the fifth piece, but he has some work to do.
Congrats to Fusco on his new contract. The guy from Slippery Rock is on pretty solid ground now.