On Wednesday, any tension surrounding the contract negotiations between the Minnesota Vikings and Metellus seemed to be in the past as the veteran safety took part in the team's first training camp practice of the summer.
Well, tension made a quick return on Thursday when ESPN's Kevin Seifert revealed that Metellus sat out Minnesota's practice with what the team described as a "mild ankle injury."
Is this just the Vikings being precautionary with one of their most valuable defenders, or is this the safety choosing to sit out and avoid injury until he's given an extension from the team?
If Metellus ends up missing more practice due to an "ear infection" in the near future, like a certain Vikings tight end did when he was in the middle of negotiating a new contract, then we'll know what's really going on.
Why haven't the Minnesota Vikings extended safety Josh Metellus?
During the last two seasons, Metellus has emerged as a leader of Minnesota's locker room and a vital part of the team's defense. However, his rise has also coincided with Brian Flores running the Vikings' defense since 2023.
Flores has definitely gotten more out of Metellus than any other Minnesota defensive coordinator since the safety entered the NFL in 2020. Before the 2023 season, the majority of his time on the field with the Vikings was spent on special teams.
Currently, Flores is in the final year of his contract with Minnesota, so his future with the organization is still up in the air.
What happens if the Vikings extend Metellus this summer and then Flores leaves in 2026 to take a job elsewhere? Would Minnesota be able to still get the same production from the talented safety with someone else running the team's defense?
Is Metellus worth more than the $3.8 million he's currently scheduled to bring home in cash for the 2025 season? Yes, of course he is.
But is Metellus worth a contract that pays him closer to what former Vikings safety Camryn Bynum landed from the Indianapolis Colts earlier this year ($15 million per season)? That's something that Minnesota is clearly still trying to figure out.