Vikings agree to terms with safety Theo Jackson, answering one secondary question ahead of free agency

The Vikings were heading into free agency with three safeties that had uncertain contract situations. They moved Thursday to resolve one of them.

The team agreed to terms with safety Theo Jackson on a extension that runs through 2027, with the first two years guaranteed, according to his agency, Equity Sports. The two-year extension is worth a total of $12.615 million. Jackson, who played in all 17 games last year, was set to become a restricted free agent next week.

He worked mostly on special teams, playing just 78 defensive snaps, but the team’s confidence in Jackson after a pair of impressive training camps mirrored the faith they showed in Josh Metellus, when they signed him to a new contract before giving him a larger defensive role in 2023. The deal for the 26-year-old also gives the Vikings another safety to pair with Metellus at a time where Bynum and Smith’s futures are unknown.

Bynum is set to become an unrestricted free agent next week; he’s said he wants to return to Minnesota, but that could hinge on the Vikings' interest in paying him to keep him off the open market. Smith is signed for 2025, but has a $25 million base salary for 2026 that becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2025 league year, effectively mandating the Vikings and Smith decide quickly on whether the 36-year-old safety will return on a restructured deal or possibly retire after 13 seasons in Minnesota.

Friday’s Access Vikings newsletter will take a look at the team’s financial situation, which is in markedly different shape than it’s been in almost a decade. Subscribe here to get the free newsletter sent to your inbox.