Unrealistic’ for Vikings to Keep $67 Million Star, Insider Says
Minnesota Vikings coordinator Brian Flores has helped defensive players flourish in Minnesota — and that’s leading to what KSTP’s Darren Wolfson called a “tricky” contract situation with starting safety Camryn Bynum.
Wolfson had reported in late August that there was “mutual interest” in extending Bynum. But after the Vikings awarded defensive tackle Harrison Phillips an extension on September 10, they appear to be closing up shop for contract negotiations with the 2024 season underway.
Wolfson previously projected that Bynum, Pro Football Focus’ 14th-ranked safety in 2023, could garner a contract on par with Green Bay Packers safetyXavier McKinney — a four-year, $67 million deal — if he puts together another impressive year.
Whether the new Vikings regime is willing to shell out that kind of contract at the safety position remains to be seen.
“I’d like to see Cam Bynum here beyond this year. There’s been enough dialogue on a contract extension but it was always a tricky one to get to the finish line before Week 1,” Wolfson said on a September 17 episode of SKOR North’s “Minnesota Sports with Mackey and Judd” podcast.
“You’re not using the franchise tag on Cam Bynum, but I’d like to find a way to bring him back. It might be a little unrealistic, even with all the cap space the Vikings have [in 2025], just because you’re not going to invest that heavily, in that position.”
The Vikings are poised to splurge next offseason with $65.9 million in expected cap space to spend — but there are needs elsewhere.
The Vikings’ entire starting cornerback group — Byron Murphy Jr., Shaquill Griffin and Stephon Gilmore — are all playing on expiring contracts.
In March, the Vikings pushed to land prized free agent defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, and the position will likely be emphasized again in 2025 free agency.
Camryn Bynum, the Vikings’ Heir Apparent to Harrison Smith
GettyVikings safeties Cam Bynum and Harrison Smith
Contractually, this is Harrison Smith‘s final season with the Vikings and potentially his career.
The veteran safety will turn 36 in February 2025 has remained cryptic about his potential retirement, saying he wouldn’t know until the offseason was over. Once the highest-paid safety in the league, Smith carries a $9.5 million cap hit on the 2025 cap sheet after the Vikings restructured his deal to keep him around this season.
That is a lot of dead cap sunk at the safety position, but a Bynum extension could make his first year more affordable while the Vikings carry that dead cap hit.
