Minnesota Vikings give Kevin McDermott a 4 year extension

Aug 15, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings long snapper Kevin McDermott (47) catches a pass before a preseason NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 15, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings long snapper Kevin McDermott (47) catches a pass before a preseason NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at TCF Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports /
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Long snapper Kevin McDermott has earned an extension from the Minnesota Vikings, as the deal was completed to keep him around for 4 more NFL seasons.

Having continuity on special teams is something very important to the Minnesota Vikings. Once they find a player who fits well with the team and performs at a high level, they typically do everything they can to keep all the pieces together.

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That trend continued with the news that the Minnesota Vikings have agreed to an extension with long snapper Kevin McDermott that was initially announced by NFL Network but shared on the FOX Sports website.

The deal will keep the long snapper in Minnesota for 4 more years at an average of $1 million per season at maximum cost. The deal has yet to be announced on the official Minnesota Vikings website, but with NFL Network and FOX Sports reporting the deal and Mike Zimmer confirming the deal during a conference with reporters during training camp, there is no reason to doubt this information as accurate.

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McDermott had his first season with the Vikings last year, but had established himself around the NFL during stints with the San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens before landing in Minnesota. He took over the retiring Cullen Loeffler, who had held down the position from 2004 through 2014.

Minnesota is likely hoping to find a trio of special teams players to keep together and have grow as a unit. They had that kind of situation with Loeffler, Longwell, and Kluwe for many years, but have yet to find the kind of consistency those three had to offer.

This move allows the Minnesota Vikings to be more flexible with the salary the upcoming seasons, as locking down players in important positions who don’t make large salaries can help to make it easier to plan for future contracts and extensions down the road.

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Congratulations to McDermitt on the 4 year extension. Hopefully he can continue to grow and develop with the current group of specialists and help make the Minnesota Vikings stronger when it comes to punts and field goals in the future.