St. Croix's Linval Joseph Inks New Deal With The Vikings Worth $50 Million And Good Through 2022

St. Croix’s Linval Joseph Inks New Deal With The Vikings Worth $50 Million And Good Through 2022

MANKATO, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings have locked up another core piece of their defense, signing Linval Joseph to a four-year contract extension that puts him under team control through the 2022 season.

Joseph’s agency, SportsTrust Advisors, announced the agreement Saturday. Then the Vikings confirmed it a few hours later after Joseph met general manager Rick Spielman to sign the deal . There was no rush, with two years remaining on the current contract, but Joseph was happy to have the added security even if his market price could have risen with another strong season.

“This game don’t last forever, at the end of the day,” Joseph said after the team’s night practice at Minnesota State University. “It was a great opportunity.”

NFL Media reported that Joseph’s new contract is worth as much as $50 million, with $31.5 million in guaranteed money. He joined the Vikings as a free agent in 2014 after leaving the New York Giants, who drafted him in the second round in 2010 out of East Carolina. Joseph is a native of St. Croix whose family moved to Florida when he was 10.

This is the third extension the Vikings have done since training camp began, having previously signed defensive end Everson Griffen and cornerback Xavier Rhodes to new long-term deals, all through the 2022 season. Free safety Harrison Smith is signed through 2021.

“I feel like we have something special. We have a lot of guys who want to work. Once you have guys like that, that’s how you build a great team,” Joseph said, adding: “I feel like I’m a part of something, and that’s a great feeling. Right now I just want to grow. I want our team to grow. And I want to win that big ring.”

This is Joseph’s fourth year with the Vikings, all under coach Mike Zimmer, who recently called Joseph the best nose tackle he’s “ever been around” in 24 seasons in the NFL.

“He’s a great person, wants to be really good,” Zimmer said. “Probably works as hard as anyone on the football team in the offseason.”

The 6-foot-4, 329-pound Joseph was picked as an injury replacement last year for the Pro Bowl. He was credited by Vikings coaches with 100 tackles, the team’s first defensive tackle to reach that milestone since Henry Thomas in 1991. He matched his career high with four sacks and tallied 36 quarterback hurries, his most since joining Minnesota.

Joseph’s greatest value, though, is his unique ability to occupy multiple blockers, who would often be overpowered in a one-on-one situation, to allow a linebacker, a defensive end or a safety to swoop in for the big play.

“Hopefully all of our guys on defense feel the same way. It’s not about individual statistics. It’s about us collectively doing our job,” Zimmer said.

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, here are the terms for the new contract:

1. Signing bonus of $6 million, half of which will be paid within 10 days of signing and the other half of which will be paid on March 15, 2018.

2. Fully-guaranteed 2017 roster bonus of $4 million, due within 10 days of signing.

3. A fully-guaranteed base salary of $1.15 million for 2017.

4. A $5 million roster bonus for 2018, guaranteed for injury only at signing. It becomes fully guaranteed on March 15, 2018, with half paid on March 17, 2018 and the other half paid on September 1, 2018.

5. A $1.15 million base salary for 2018, guaranteed for injury only at signing and fully guaranteed as of the third day of the 2018 league year.

6. A 2019 base salary of $8.9 million, which is guaranteed for injury only at signing and fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2019 league year.

7. A 2020 base salary of $11.15 million, $5.3 million of which is guaranteed for injury only at signing and fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2020 league year.

8. A non-guaranteed base salary of $10.65 million for 2021.

9. A non-guaranteed base salary of $11.9 million for 2022.

10. 46-man roster bonuses totaling $500,000 per year for 2019 through 2022.

11. $100,000 workout bonuses for 2018 through 2022.

The end result is $11.15 million fully guaranteed of signing, and $31.5 million guaranteed for injury at signing. He’ll make $11.15 million in 2019, $17.4 million through the first two years, $26.9 million through 2019, $38.65 million through 2020, $49.9 million through 2021, and $62.4 million through 2022.

Under a new-money analysis, the $12.5 million annual average makes Joseph the eighth highest-paid defensive tackle.

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