Tag: Joshua Metellus

Josh Metellus absent from executives’ safety rankings for ESPN

Despite a very strong showing in 2023, Josh Metellus was not recognized by NFL executives in a leaguewide poll held by ESPN.

Despite a very strong showing in 2023, Josh Metellus was not recognized by NFL executives in a leaguewide poll held by ESPN.

The ESPN rankings went live on Thursday, and just one safety was named from the NFC North. Xavier McKinney of the Packers came in at No. 10, and no others even received honorable mention.

Metellus benefited from the presence of Harrison Smith and Camryn Bynum’s breakout year, which allowed him to be used more creatively within Brian Flores’ defense.

Metellus saw the rankings and offered his reaction to them.

To say Metellus has some work to do is interesting. Of course, players want to keep improving, but when you look at his numbers from last year, Metellus ranked first among safeties in pressures (29), quarterback hits (7), hurries (19) and sacks (3).

Building on those numbers will be tough, but accomplishing that would make Metellus a star on defense in 2024.

Joshua Metellus has faith in rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy

Vikings defensive back Joshua Metellus had nothing but praise for quarterback J.J. McCarthy in a recent interview with Britain’s Sky Sports.

While he still may be stuck behind Sam Darnold on the depth chart for now, it seems like rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy is making quite the impression on his teammates. Last week free agent signee Blake Cashman voiced his strong support of the young quarterback, and now defensive chess piece Josh Metellus has echoed those sentiments.

In an interview with British sports network Sky Sports, Metellus had nothing but praise for the Vikings first-round draft pick, saying:

He’s gonna figure it out because he always does and I think he’s gonna be real good for the team. He brings a good energy, you can tell he’s a leader by nature so I think he’ll be really good for the locker room.

While we still don’t know when McCarthy will make his inevitable debut as the team’s quarterback, early returns suggest that he’s leaving quite a mark on the team as he prepares. Making a midseason switch at quarterback can be a risky proposition, but it seems like McCarthy will have the full backing of the locker room if he is put into the lineup this season.