The Minnesota Vikings were one of the most active teams in free agency this past offseason. But as is so often mentioned, the process of building an NFL roster never ends.
The process of the Vikings rebuilding their defense under the leadership of coordinator Brian Flores continued on Tuesday, as the team and defensive tackle Harrison Phillips agreed on a two-year contract extension.
What does this extension mean for the team, and why is Phillips such a valuable component to Minnesota’s defense?
Details on Harrison Phillips’ 2-Year Extension
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media broke the news on Tuesday that the Vikings and Phillips had agreed to a new contract extension that will keep the veteran defensive lineman in Minnesota through 2026.
The #Vikings are signing veteran DT Harrison Phillips to a two-year contract extension worth up to $19 million with over $13M guaranteed, per sources.
A 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award nominee, Phillips is now locked in with Minnesota through 2026. pic.twitter.com/gbrL9oMAJI
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 10, 2024
This is the second time the Vikings and Phillips have reached a deal. The first occurred in 2021 when the team gave him a three-year, $19.5 million deal to leave Buffalo and fortify the middle of its defensive line.
Phillips had just begun the final year of the original three-year deal with the Vikings, meaning he is now under contract for the rest of this season plus the following two campaigns.
The extension also gives Minnesota some breathing room under the 2024 salary cap, affording valuable room should the team need to sign a free agent.
Phillips’ Role in Brian Flores’ Defense
Flores is an extension of the Bill Belichick coaching tree, which means he’s been exposed to the idea that versatility in scheme and matchup orientation with players is important in a league driven by offense.
That’s why athletic edge rushers and position-flexible defensive backs stand out most in Minnesota’s defense. But that’s also why Phillips is uniquely valuable to what Flores wants to do.
Week in and week out, Phillips shows up. He’s never missed a game or start since signing in Minnesota, playing in 34 regular-season games and one playoff contest. Phillips’ steady presence in the middle affords coaches and other players the ability to dabble with creativity and disguise.
He doesn’t always fill up the box score or appear in highlights, but that’s not his primary role.
At 6’3″, 307 pounds, Phillips plays anchor in Flores’ 3-4 scheme. Tasked with being a two-gapping nose tackle, Phillips’ mission each snap is to occupy the attention of the center and one offensive guard. This opens up the possibility for 1-on-1 matchups on the edge for outside linebackers, and it allows the Vikings’ inside linebackers to run uninhibited toward the football.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Makes the Latest in a Series of Shrewd Moves
The Phillips extension is hardly the only action for the Vikings’ front office of late.
GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is coming off an offseason in which he chose to replace veteran franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins with first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, whom the team selected No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Knowing a rookie QB is no sure thing, Adofo-Mensah also chose to sign veteran Sam Darnold this past offseason.
Both moves looks good now.
McCarthy showed promise all spring and summer, challenging for the starting job as late as the middle of training camp. However, a knee injury ended his rookie season early.
Enter Darnold, who guided the Vikings to a 28-6 win in the season opener, tossing two touchdowns and completing 79.1% of his passes in the process.
This past offseason, Adofo-Mensah also rebuilt his team’s pass-rushing group. Danielle Hunter, who had 87.5 sacks in nine seasons with Minnesota, was allowed to leave via free agency. In his place, Adofo-Mensah signed free agents Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. Then he used the No. 17 overall pick in this year’s draft to select Dallas Turner.
On Sunday, Van Ginkel registered a sack and a pick-six, while Turner tallied his first career sack.
And in a demonstration of quick thinking and flexibility in the days before and early in training camp, Adofo-Mensah and his staff responded decisively to tragedy and injury in their cornerback room.
Rookie fourth-rounder Khyree Jackson was tragically killed in a car accident, then 2023 third-rounder Mekhi Blackmon was lost for the season on the first day of camp. Making matters a bit worse, veteran Shaq Griffin was lost on the second day of camp to a soft-tissue injury.
In response to the adversity, the Vikings utilized free agency to sign Bobby McCain and Fabian Moreau in early August. Both were on the team’s roster heading into the regular season. Midway through the preseason, Minnesota signed Stephon Gilmore, a two-time All-Pro and one-time AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year who played under Flores when both were with the New England Patriots.
Gilmore led the team’s cornerbacks in snap share in Week 1 and tallied four tackles.
A combination of thoughtful and methodical planning with nimble and flexible reflex to injury and loss have proven valuable for Adofo-Mensah and the Vikings as their defensive rebuild continues.
The Phillips signing is a solid dose of stability that only reinforces the direction Minnesota is heading.