The Minnesota Vikings have a safety problem. But it’s not the kind of problem most teams complain about.
It’s a surplus problem. A logjam. A crowded room of talented players fighting for limited snaps.
Under defensive coordinator Brian Flores, the Vikings deploy three safeties on the field a good portion of the time. That’s more than most teams. But even with three-safety sets, there are only so many snaps to go around.
Josh Metellus is a lock. He’s Flores’s Swiss Army knife — a do-everything defender who lines up everywhere from deep safety to slot corner to linebacker.
Minnesota Vikings safety Theo Jackson
Harrison Smith is the legend. He’s played 14 seasons. He’s a future Hall of Famer. The question is whether he’ll come back for a 15th.
Jay Ward emerged late last season. Over the final three games, he played 128 defensive snaps and graded out as a top-30 safety by Pro Football Focus.
Jakobe Thomas is the rookie. The Vikings drafted him in the third round. He’s the future.
And then there’s Theo Jackson.
The 2025 season was supposed to be Jackson’s breakout. After Cam Bynum left in free agency, Jackson stepped into a starting role. He played 530 defensive snaps. He started eight games. He was a core special teamer.
But by the end of the season, he was benched.
Now, entering 2026, Jackson finds himself on the roster bubble. Moe Moton of Bleacher Report recently named him a surprising cut candidate. But is it really that surprising?
Let me break down the Vikings’ safety room, why Jackson is in danger, and whether he can survive cutdown day.
The Flores Scheme: Why the Vikings Carry So Many Safeties
Let me start with the system.
Brian Flores runs one of the most unique defensive schemes in the NFL. He blitzes at one of the highest rates in the league. He disguises coverages. He moves players all over the formation.
That scheme requires versatile safeties. Not just deep coverage guys. Not just box safeties. Players who can do everything — cover slot receivers, blitz off the edge, play deep center field, and tackle in the open field.
That’s why the Vikings keep so many safeties on the roster. That’s why they rotate them so frequently.
But even in a safety-heavy scheme, there’s a limit. The Vikings can’t keep everyone.
The Depth Chart: Who’s Safe and Who’s Fighting
Let me break down the Vikings’ safety room.
Tier 1: Locks
Josh Metellus: 600+ snaps last season. Flores’s most trusted defensive back. He can play safety, nickel, linebacker, and even edge rusher. He’s not going anywhere.
Harrison Smith: If he plays. That’s the big unknown. Smith is a future Hall of Famer. The Vikings are giving him all the time he needs to decide. If he comes back, he’s a starter. If he retires, that opens a spot.
Jakobe Thomas: Third-round rookie. The Vikings invested significant draft capital in him. He’s going to make the roster. The only question is how much he plays.
Tier 2: The Battle
Jay Ward: Late-season breakout. Played 128 snaps over the final three games. Graded as a top-30 safety by PFF. Strong against the run and in coverage. He looks like a keeper.
Theo Jackson: Started eight games last season. Played 530 defensive snaps. But he was benched in favor of Ward late in the year. Now he’s fighting for his roster life.
Tier 3: The Practice Squad/Fringe
Other depth pieces and camp bodies.
If Smith plays, the Vikings have four safeties who deserve playing time: Metellus, Smith, Ward, and Thomas. That’s already a crowded room.
Where does Jackson fit? He doesn’t. Not unless someone gets hurt or Smith retires.
The Jackson Regression: From Starter to Bench
Let me give you the full story on Theo Jackson.
Jackson was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in 2022. They cut him in late August of that year. The Vikings picked him up, and for his first three seasons, he was a core special teamer — not a defensive contributor.
Then Cam Bynum left in free agency before the 2025 season. The Vikings needed a third safety behind Metellus and Smith. Jackson won the job.
He played 530 defensive snaps. He started eight games. He had his moments.
But by the end of the season, the coaching staff had seen enough. Jay Ward started getting more playing time. Over the final three games, Ward played 128 defensive snaps. Jackson played 81.
That’s not a timeshare. That’s a changing of the guard.
If Ward had played enough snaps to qualify, he would have been a top-30 graded safety in the league by Pro Football Focus. He graded out stronger than Jackson against both the run and in coverage.
Jackson didn’t lose his job because of injury. He lost it because the other guy was better.
The Rookie Threat: Jakobe Thomas Is Coming
Let me talk about the rookie.
Jakobe Thomas was the Vikings’ third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. That’s significant capital. The Vikings don’t draft safeties in the third round just to put them on the practice squad.
Thomas is going to play. The only question is how much.
If Smith returns, Thomas likely starts as the fourth safety. He’ll get snaps in certain packages. He’ll learn from the veterans. He’ll be eased into the rotation.
If Smith retires, Thomas could be competing for a starting job by Week 1.
Either way, Thomas takes a roster spot. He takes snaps. He takes opportunities away from someone else.
That someone else is likely Theo Jackson.
What Moe Moton Said: ‘Jackson Could Lose His Roster Spot’
Let me bring in the expert analysis.
Moe Moton of Bleacher Report recently named Theo Jackson as a surprising cut candidate for the Vikings. Here’s what he wrote:
“Last season, Theo Jackson moved up on the Minnesota Vikings’ safety depth chart, playing 60 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.
*After a step forward in his development, Jackson may be less productive as the Vikings’ No. 3 safety. He could lose his roster spot if rookie third-rounder Jakobe Thomas shows promising signs in the next phases of the Vikings’ offseason program.”*
Moton is saying that Jackson’s path to playing time is blocked. The Vikings have younger, cheaper, and potentially better options.
Jackson isn’t a bad player. He’s just the odd man out in a numbers game.
The Smith Decision: The Elephant in the Room
Let me address the biggest variable.
Harrison Smith is 37 years old. He’s played 14 seasons. He’s a legend. But he hasn’t decided whether to come back for a 15th.
The Vikings are giving him space. Kevin O’Connell has consistently said he doesn’t know what Smith is doing. But logic says the team has a good idea one way or the other.
If Smith retires, that opens a spot. The Vikings would likely keep Metellus, Ward, Thomas, and Jackson. Four safeties. Everyone survives.
If Smith plays, the math gets tight. The Vikings would have Metellus, Smith, Ward, Thomas, and Jackson — five safeties. That’s possible, but difficult. Most teams keep four safeties on the 53-man roster.
Jackson would be the fifth. And the fifth safety is often the one who gets cut.
Special Teams: Jackson’s Path to the Roster
Let me give Jackson some hope.
He has value that doesn’t show up on the defensive stat sheet. Jackson has been a core special teamer for the Vikings for three seasons. He covers kicks. He blocks punts. He does the dirty work that coaches love.
That might save him.
If the Vikings keep five safeties, Jackson’s special teams experience gives him an edge over a practice-squad-level player. He’s a known commodity. He’s reliable.
But Ward also plays special teams. Thomas will be asked to play special teams as a rookie. Metellus is too valuable on defense to use heavily on special teams. Smith, if he returns, will likely have his special teams snaps limited.
Jackson’s special teams value is real. But is it enough to keep him on the roster? That depends on how many safeties the Vikings decide to carry.
The Numbers Game: How Many Safeties Can They Keep?
Let me do the math.
The Vikings’ 53-man roster has limited spots. Every position group competes for space.
Last season, the Vikings kept four safeties on the initial 53-man roster: Metellus, Smith, Bynum, and Jackson. Ward made the team later.
This season, the Vikings have:
Metellus (lock)
Smith (if he plays)
Ward (likely lock after his late-season surge)
Thomas (third-round pick, lock)
Jackson (on the bubble)
That’s five safeties if Smith plays. That’s a lot for any team, even one that uses three-safety sets.
The Vikings could keep five. It’s not unprecedented. But it would mean cutting a player at another position — maybe a cornerback, a wide receiver, or a defensive lineman.
Every roster spot is a trade-off. Is Theo Jackson worth more than a sixth cornerback? A fourth running back? A backup offensive lineman?
The coaching staff will have to answer that question by cutdown day.
What Ward Did That Jackson Didn’t
Let me compare Ward and Jackson directly.
Jay Ward (final three games of 2025):
128 defensive snaps
Top-30 PFF grade among safeties (if qualified)
Strong against the run
Strong in coverage
Theo Jackson (full 2025 season):
530 defensive snaps
8 starts
Benched in favor of Ward late in the season
Lower PFF grades in both run defense and coverage
The numbers tell the story. Ward outplayed Jackson down the stretch. He earned the coaching staff’s trust. He’s younger, cheaper, and has more upside.
Jackson is a good player. But Ward is better. And in the NFL, better wins.
Final Verdict: Jackson Is on the Wrong Side of the Bubble
Here’s my honest take.
Theo Jackson has been a great story. Undrafted? No — drafted by the Titans, cut, picked up by the Vikings, worked his way into a starting role. That’s resilience. That’s determination.
But the NFL is a meritocracy. And right now, Jackson is the fifth-best safety on a team that likely only has room for four.
Metellus is a star. Smith is a legend. Ward outplayed Jackson. Thomas is the future.
Jackson is the odd man out.
Could he survive if Smith retires? Absolutely. That would open a spot.
Could he survive if the Vikings keep five safeties? Possible, but unlikely.
Could he outplay Ward or Thomas in training camp and win his job back? That’s his best path. But based on what we saw last season, it’s a long shot.
Jackson has a battle on his hands. Between now and cutdown day, he needs to prove that he belongs. He needs to show the coaching staff that benching him at the end of last season was a mistake.
If he does that, he survives. If he doesn’t, he’ll be looking for a new team in September.
One thing’s certain: The Vikings’ safety room is stacked. And Theo Jackson is on the wrong side of the bubble.