With the Minnesota Vikings’ rookie minicamp set to begin this weekend and OTAs not far behind, position battles are about to start heating up even before training camp starts in late summer.
There could be a surprising number of new starters in 2026, and while some spots are already decided – cough, quarterback, cough – others are wide open. One particularly interesting battle is at safety, where the Vikings still anxiously await the decision from Harrison Smith.
The future Ring of Honor member has yet to make a call on his retirement decision, but Minnesota has already said they’ll give him all the time he wants. Should he return, he’d slide right back into a starting role, but the 37-year-old may end up rotating in and out more than years past. Still, there’s no question the Vikings are a better team with Smith on the roster. In the meantime, they will attempt to sort through three options for the potentially available starting role.
While 2025 was far from his best work, Joshua Metellus has the opposite safety spot locked down. He missed three games due to injury and posted just a 55.4 PFF grade — 79th in the NFL – but remains a reliable player for Brian Flores. That leaves Theo Jackson, Jay Ward, and potentially rookie Jakobe Thomas to duke it out for one, or even two safety spots.
Flores tends to play three safeties, or a big nickel, rather than an extra linebacker or cornerback, but free agent James Pierre or rookie linebacker Jake Golday could change those tendencies. Last season, the trio of Smith, Metellus, and mostly Jackson (we’ll get to that in a second), played a combined 2,191 snaps. There’s always the possibility Flores continues those ways, but, like in years past, the formations will rely on the makeup of the roster.
Jackson was that No. 3 safety for much of last season, but was replaced by Ward down the stretch. Jackson wasn’t terrible by any means though, notching 47 tackles and even two sacks from his safety position, but Ward started the last three games and may have shown enough to earn the job once again in 2026.
Minnesota already did the unimaginable by passing on Dillon Thieneman in the draft, breaking the brains of every analyst. But it could be that the Vikings waited to address safety until late in the third because they already feel confident in the room, regardless of Smith’s decision. Starting Metellus, Jackson, and Ward isn’t the worst room in the league, but there’s a world where Thomas carves out a significant role.
At this point, Jackson is 27 going on 28, and it feels like his floor — and most importantly, his ceiling — is pretty much established. He was already benched in favor of Ward near the end of last season, and it’s unlikely that course gets reversed this summer. So assuming the young and potentially more Flores-y Ward gets the nod again, Jackson could find himself fighting off a trio of Thomas safeties. Yes, three. Minnesota currently rosters three safeties with the last name Thomas in Jakobe, Tavierre, and Jacob.
Really, Jakobe Thomas is the only threat to his job, but a very significant one. Jakobe Thomas nabbed nine interceptions during his college career and doesn’t mind coming downhill either, notching 3.5 sacks with Miami last season. The rookie will face a tough learning curve, but it does seem like the Vikings will give him every opportunity to earn a starting role.
Minnesota was never going to shell out $60 million to keep Cam Bynum, but Jakobe Thomas feels like the next-closest thing thanks to his ballhawking abilities and willingness in the run-game. Still, he was a third-round pick for a reason, and may have to prove himself on special teams, at least initially.
If Flores rolls out the big nickel again in 2026, Metellus, Ward, and Jakobe Thomas are still a very plausible trio, making Jackson the odd man out. It wouldn’t be hard to move on from him after this season, clearing the way for a Ward extension and a Jakobe Thomas promotion. Jackson only just started for the first time in his career last season, and might have shown the Vikings his peak was as a reliable backup and strong special teamer.
Smith is still the X-factor in all of this, but as more time passes, the probability he retires likely increases. Ultimately, Metellus and Ward seemingly have secured their roles, and with Jackson and Jakobe Thomas left to battle for the final starting spot. That is of course, if Flores doesn’t switch things up and opt for a heavy dose of Pierre in the nickel. You may recall that Minnesota decided that rostering more than three cornerbacks last season felt superfluous.
Still, safety should be a fun battle to watch over the coming months.
