Joshua Metellus (born January 21, 1998) is an American professional football utility player for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He is currently listed as a safety. He played college football for the Michigan Wolverines, where he was twice named an All-Big Ten selection. He was selected by the Vikings in the 2020 NFL draft.
College career
After playing at Charles W. Flanagan High School, Metellus committed to Michigan on June 17, 2015, choosing the Wolverines over Colorado, Florida International, Middle Tennessee State and others.[1] He had previously committed to Georgia Southern, but switched to Michigan after attending an affiliate camp, and Flanagan teammate Devin Bush Jr. later signed with Michigan as well.[2]
Metellus saw some action as a backup during his true freshman season at Michigan, and garnered honorable mention all-Big Ten Conference during his sophomore season on the strength of three games started.[3]
After practicing at both free safety and strong safety in the spring,[4] his senior season included duties as an edge cover in the running game and a roaming safety in the passing game.[5] Metellus was named a team captain his senior season, and participated in the 2020 Senior Bowl and 2020 NFL Combine.[6]
Professional career
At the NFL Combine, Mettelus' 20 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, ranked fourth-most among safeties. In the vertical jump, his performance of 36.5 inches ranked sixth, and he tied for 10th in the broad jump with a mark of 10 feet, 4 inches. His time of 4.55 seconds in the – ranked 11th amongst his position group.[7]
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
209 lb (95 kg) |
32+1⁄4 in (0.82 m) |
10+1⁄4 in (0.26 m) |
4.55 s | 1.54 s | 2.66 s | 4.40 s | 6.94 s | 36.5 in (0.93 m) |
10 ft 4 in (3.15 m) |
20 reps | |
| All values from NFL Combine[8][9] | ||||||||||||
The Minnesota Vikings selected Metellus in the sixth round (205th overall) of the 2020 NFL draft.[10] He was the 17th safety drafted in 2020 and was one of many 2020 sixth or seventh round safeties that successfully became starters, including Alohi Gilman, Jordan Fuller, Kamren Curl, and Geno Stone.
"Metellus might not have the high-end athletic traits that will earn him a starting role in camp, but if he gets into an NFL game, he might not give the job back, showing the toughness required for downhill work and just enough range on the back end."[7]
On July 23, 2020, the Minnesota Vikings signed Metellus to a four–year, $3.45 million contract that includes an initial signing bonus of $160,265.[11]
He was waived by the Vikings during final roster cuts on September 5, 2020, and signed to the practice squad the next day.[12][13] He was promoted to the active roster on September 18, 2020.[14]
Metellus made his first career start in Week 3 of the 2022 season against the Detroit Lions, where he recorded his first career interception off Jared Goff in the final seconds of the fourth quarter in the 28–24 win.[15]
On September 7, 2023, the Minnesota Vikings signed Mettelus to a two–year, $8.00 million contract extension that includes $5.13 million guaranteed upon signing and an initial signing bonus of $3.00 million.[16][17][11]
During the 2023 season, he became notable for his versatility within Brian Flores' defense, playing in twelve different defensive positions through Week 14.[18]
References
- ^ "Josh Metellus Recruit Interests". 247Sports. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Brugler, Dane (April 7, 2020). The Athletic's 2020 NFL Draft Guide (PDF). The Athletic. p. 233. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ "NFL Draft & Combine Profile – Josh Metellus". NFL.com. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Sang, Orion (August 11, 2019). "Michigan elder statesman Josh Metellus has insight. 'People look up to me'". Detroit Free Press. Gannett. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Sears, Ethan (November 2, 2019). "As Michigan shuts down Maryland, Josh Metellus stands at the center of everything". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ Harrington, Lynn (February 9, 2020). "Josh Metellus excited about journey to the NFL". Stay Alive in Power 5. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
- ^ a b Lindsey Young (May 7, 2020). "5 Things to Know About New Vikings S Josh Metellus". Vikings.com. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ "Josh Metellus Combine Profile". NFL.com. Retrieved August 9, 2020.
- ^ "2020 Draft Scout Josh Metellus, Michigan NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
- ^ "NFL Draft 2020: Vikings take Michigan S Josh Metellus in sixth round". MLive. April 25, 2020. Retrieved May 5, 2020.
- ^ a b "Spotrac.com: Josh Mettelus contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
- ^ Peters, Craig; Smith, Eric (September 5, 2020). "Vikings Announce Roster Moves, Set Initial 53-Man Roster". Minnesota Vikings. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
- ^ "Vikings Claim LB Ryan Connelly, Add 13 Players To Practice Squad". Vikings.com. September 6, 2020.
- ^ Smith, Eric (September 18, 2020). "Vikings Add Jones & Metellus to 53-Man Roster". Vikings.com.
- ^ Young, Lindsey (September 26, 2022). "Metellus Caps 1st Vikings Start with 1st Career Interception". Vikings.com. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- ^ Young, Lindsey (September 7, 2023). "Vikings Sign Josh Metellus to 2-Year Extension". Vikings.com. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
- ^ Alper, Josh (September 7, 2023). "Josh Metellus agrees to two-year extension with Vikings". NBCSports.com.
- ^ Brown, Brandon (December 11, 2023). "Is Josh Metellus The Most Versatile Player In The NFL?". SI.com.
External links
- Career statistics from NFL.com · ESPN · Yahoo Sports
- Minnesota Vikings bio
- Michigan Wolverines bio