Josh Metellus

CAREER NOTES

• Was elevated from practice squad to 53-man roster and played in first-career game at Indianapolis on Sept. 20, 2020.
• Named Vikings 2020 Special Teams Player of the Year as part of annual Minnesota Football Honors program.
• One of five players in the NFL in 2023 with at least four forced fumbles, 2.0 sacks and an interception (Bobby Okereke, Fred Warner, T.J. Watt and Antoine Winfield, Jr.). Just the third Viking in team history to achieve this stat line in a single season, joining Jared Allen (twice, 2009 and 2011) and Antoine Winfield, Sr., (2008).

CAREER NOTES

• Was elevated from practice squad to 53-man roster and played in first-career game at Indianapolis on Sept. 20, 2020.
• Named Vikings 2020 Special Teams Player of the Year as part of annual Minnesota Football Honors program.
• One of five players in the NFL in 2023 with at least four forced fumbles, 2.0 sacks and an interception (Bobby Okereke, Fred Warner, T.J. Watt and Antoine Winfield, Jr.). Just the third Viking in team history to achieve this stat line in a single season, joining Jared Allen (twice, 2009 and 2011) and Antoine Winfield, Sr., (2008).

2025 | MINNESOTA VIKINGS

• Named a team captain for the 2025 season, the fourth selection of his career.
• Started all 14 games he appeared in during the 2025 season, totaling 86 tackles, including one for loss, 0.5 sacks, two QBH, two interceptions and a career-high six passes defensed before being placed on Reserve/Injured in Week 16.
• Logged seven tackles in Week 15 at Dallas (12/14) on Sunday Night Football.
• Had four tackles in Week 14 vs. Washington (12/7).
• In Week 13 at Seattle (11/30), had four tackles and two passes defensed. It marked the third time in his career he had multiple passes defensed.
• Notched a career-high 12 tackles in Week 12 at Green Bay (11/23). It marked his sixth career outing with double-digit stops.
• In Week 11 vs. Chicago (11/16), totaled 10 tackles, which is tied for the second most in a game in his career.
• Recorded three tackles and a quarterback hit in Week 10 vs. Baltimore (11/9).
• Had five tackles in Week 9 at Detroit (11/2).
• Grabbed his second interception of the season at the Los Angeles Chargers (10/23) in Week 8 on Thursday Night Football, tying his single-season career best from 2024. It brought his career total to six interceptions. Metellus finished the evening with six tackles, one QBH, one interception and a pass defensed.
• Paced the defense in Week 7 vs. Philadelphia (10/19) with eight total tackles, including one for loss. He also had a share in a sack, raising his career total to 3.0 sacks.
• Registered four tackles and a pass defensed in Week 5 against the Cleveland Browns in London (10/5).
• Tied for the team lead with nine tackles in Week 4 against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin (9/28).
• Grabbed the fifth interception of his career in Week 3 vs. Cincinnati (9/21). Finished with five tackles, one interception and one pass defensed.
• In Week 2 vs. Atlanta (9/14) on Sunday Night Football, recorded three tackles and a pass defensed.
• Led the team with six tackles in Week 1 at Chicago (9/8) on Monday Night Football.

2024 | MINNESOTA VIKINGS

• Named a team captain for the 2024 season, the third selection of his career.
• Started 10 of the 17 games he appeared in during the 2024 season, recording 103 total tackles, including two for loss, a career-high two interceptions, five passes defensed and forced one fumble.
• Started his first career postseason game during the WIld Card Round against the L.A. Rams in Arizona (1/13) and recorded three tackles.
• In Week 18 at Detroit (1/5), logged five tackles, one QB hit and one pass defensed.
• Recorded seven tackles and two QB hits in Week 16 at Seattle (12/22).
• Led all defenders with 10 tackles, tied for his second most in a game in his career, in Week 15 vs. Chicago (12/16) on Monday Night Football.
• Intercepted former Vikings QB Kirk Cousins in Week 14 vs. Atlanta (12/8) and finished tied for the team lead in tackles with seven. Also notched one pass defensed.
• Had a season-high 10 tackles in Week 13 vs. Arizona (12/1), tied for the second-most tackles on the team.
• Tied for a team-high five tackles, including one for loss, at Jacksonville in Week 10 (11/10).
• Registered seven tackles in Week 8 at the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football (10/24).
• In Week 7 vs. Detroit (10/20), had eight tackles, two QB hits and forced the fumble that was returned by LB Ivan Pace Jr. for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
• Recorded five total tackles and one pass defensed at Green Bay in Week 4 (9/29).
• In Week 3 vs. Houston (9/22), was one of two defenders to play every Vikings defensive snap (S Cam Bynum), and tallied five total tackles.
• Registered his third career interception in the Vikings home opener vs. San Francisco (9/15), finishing the day with seven tackles, including one for loss, one interception and a pass defensed.
• Made his season debut in Week 1 at the New York Giants (9/8), tallying four total tackles and a QB hit.

2023 | MINNESOTA VIKINGS

• Named team captain for the 2023 season.
• Started a career-high 17 games for the Vikings in 2023, after combining for just three starts from 2020-22, lining up at more than 10 different positions on defense.
• Finished second on the team in total defensive tackles with 112, setting career highs in both starts and tackles. Also recorded a career high in sacks (2.5) and tied his career best in interceptions (one).
• His four forced fumbles this season tied for the most among Viking defenders (Danielle Hunter) and tied for the fifth most in the NFL.
• Tallied six tackles and a pass defensed in the Vikings Week 18 matchup at Detroit (1/7).
• Led the team with 10 tackles in Week 16 against Detroit (12/24), his second highest total in a single game, trailing only his performance against the Lions in 2022.
• Notched a sack in the fourth quarter at Cincinnati in Week 15 (12/16), bringing his season and career totals to 2.5 sacks. Also had five tackles, including one for loss.
• Forced his fourth fumble this season at Las Vegas in Week 14 (12/10). Also had seven tackles, the second most on the team.
• Forced multiple fumbles in a single game for the first time in his career against Chicago in Week 12 (11/27). He also had nine tackles and 0.5 sack during Monday Night Football.
• Had five tackles, including one for loss, and two quarterback hurries in Week 10 against New Orleans (11/12). Also recorded a pair of tackles on special teams.
• In Week 9 at Atlanta (11/5), collected five tackles, two quarterback hits, one tackle for loss and recovered a fumble forced by Akayleb Evans.
• Grabbed his first interception of the season and the second of his career at Green Bay (10/29). His 43-yard return marked the longest interception return for the Vikings this season.
• Corralled his first career sack at Chicago (10/15), forcing a fumble on the play that Jordan Hicks recovered and returned for a touchdown.

2022 | MINNESOTA VIKINGS

• Notched his first career start at safety and had 11 tackles, one interception and two passes defensed on the day (9/25).
• Made his second career start at safety and totaled nine tackles (seven solo) at Detroit (12/11).
• Blocked his first punt of his career and the first by the Vikings since Eric Wilson blocked a punt in Atlanta in 2019 (12/24).
• Blocked his second punt, becoming the first NFL player to block a punt in two consecutive games since 1995 (1/1/23).
• Made his third career start in Week 18 at Chicago and recorded a single-game high of three passes defensed (1/8/23).
• Appeared on special teams in his postseason debut against New York Giants (1/15/23).

2021 | MINNESOTA VIKINGS

• Appeared in 16 games. Had career highs in total tackles with six, including four solo (career-high) and one pass defensed.
• Played in his 30th career game (1/2).
• Recorded his first defensive tackle of the season and of his career. He also had one special teams tackle (11/28).
• Activated from Reserve/COVID-19 prior to Game 12.
• Placed on Reserve/COVID-19 prior to Game 11.
• Appeared on special teams in Weeks 1 - 9.

2020 | MINNESOTA VIKINGS

• Played in final 15 games of season.
• Had second straight game with FR vs. Dallas (11/22).
• Recovered fumble on punt coverage at Chicago (11/16), a win on Monday Night Football.
• Led team with four special teams stops vs. Detroit (11/8)
• Played on defense at Green Bay (11/1).
• Played at Houston (10/4) and had two tackles on coverage units.
• Played on special teams vs. Tennessee (9/27).
• Played in first career game at Indianapois (9/20). Moving from practice squad to 53-man roster days before game.
• Released in final roster cuts following training camp but returned on practice squad where he spent the season-opening week and game vs. Green Bay (9/13).

COLLEGE - MICHIGAN

• Started all 13 games as a senior, 12 as a junior, 13 as a sophomore and one as a true freshman in 2016.
• Notched career-high 74 tackles in 2019 and 3 INT in 2018.
• Had team-high 11 tackles vs. Alabama in the 2020 Citrus Bowl.
• Michigan went 10-3 in 2016 and 2018, 9-4 in 2019 and 8-5 in 2017. Went to Orange Bowl vs. Florida State ('16), Outback vs. South Carolina ('17), Peach vs. Florida ('18) and Citrus ('19).
• Part of the Pro Football Focus College Big Ten Defensive Team of the Week for his games against Middle Tennessee State, Army, Notre Dame and Michigan State in 2019.
• Returned a 73-yard INT for TD against SMU in 2018.
• Three-time All-Big Ten honoree (2017-19) and was tabbed a First-Team All-Big Ten selection by The Associated Press in 2018.

PREP - FLANAGAN (FLA.)

• Attended Flanagan High in Pembroke Pines, Fla., in greater Miami and was coached by Devin Bush, Sr.
• Helped Flanagan to Class 8A state title in 2015, part of a turnaround under Coach Bush, a former Super Bowl winner, who led Flanagan from a team that had never made the state playoffs to the state semis in 2014 and the title in 2015.
• A four-star prospect and rated No. 21 safety in nation by ESPN.
• High school and college teammate Devin Bush, Jr,. was a first-round selection by the Steelers in 2019.

OFF THE FIELD

• Graduated with a bachelor's degree in sport management.
• Had a son, Joshua Syx Metellus, with his wife Haley in spring 2021. The couple welcomed a daughter in March 2025.
• Hosts an annual youth football camp.