10 greatest Minnesota Vikings safety duos of all-time
By Tim Arcand
10. Corey Chavous and Brian Russell (2003–2004)
- 2 seasons
- 19 interceptions
- 2 fumble recoveries
- 0 touchdowns
- 64 starts
Kicking off the ranking are Corey Chavous and Brian Russell, who started every game during the two seasons they played together.
Chavous joined the Vikings in 2002 as a cornerback after playing four years with the Arizona Cardinals. He made the move to safety and in his second season with Minnesota, he was joined by Russell in the secondary.
Russell was signed by the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 2001. After spending a year on the practice squad he made the final roster in 2002 and broke into the starting lineup in 2003.
During their first season together, Russell led the NFL with nine interceptions and Chavous was right behind him with eight for a combined 17 interceptions. The following year they only intercepted two passes.
After two seasons together, Russell made the move to Cleveland and signed with the Browns as a free agent.
9. Harrison Smith and Andrew Sendejo (2015–2017)
- 3 seasons
- 12 interceptions
- 5 fumble recoveries
- 1 touchdown
- 83 starts
Harrison Smith and Andrew Sendejo started next to each other in the Vikings’ defensive backfield for three-plus seasons from 2015 to 2019. The two took almost completely opposite routes to the Vikings.
Smith was drafted by Minnesota in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft out of Notre Dame. After playing four years at Rice, Sendejo went undrafted in 2010. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys as a undrafted free agent and he played in two games that season on special teams. The following year, after being released from the Cowboys and then the New York Jets, he signed with the Vikings.
While Smith started all 16 games during his rookie season, it took Sendejo six years to join Smith as a starter in Minnesota’s defensive backfield. Their best season together came in 2017 when Smith led the team with five interceptions and Sendejo was second on the team with two.