Xavier Rhodes, Vikings Agree on Reported 6-Year Contract

The Minnesota Vikings announced Sunday they agreed to a contract extension with cornerback Xavier Rhodes.

Adam Schefter of ESPN and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network first reported the deal.

Schefter reported the six-year deal is worth $78.126 million with $41 million guaranteed, while Rapoport noted the contract is a five-year extension, with the added years worth $70 million.

Rhodes reacted to the new deal on Twitter:

Rhodes, 27, was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2016, when he registered 52 tackles, a forced fumble and a career-high five interceptions.

As Elliott Rooney of Pro Football Focus noted, "Rhodes only allowed a passer rating of 47.0 in 2016, which was the lowest of any cornerback. ... His completion rate of 48 percent was the second-lowest among cornerbacks, allowing only 36 of the 75 passes thrown in his direction to be caught."

Rhodes has room to grow, of course. As Rooney noted, "His 11 penalties were the third-most by any cornerback last season, [and] seven of those penalties were coverage penalties that resulted in a first down."

Those penalties can be an issue for Rhodes at times, but there's little doubt he's established himself as the No. 1 corner in Minnesota and one of the better lockdown players at the position. And he particularly fits Mike Zimmer's aggressive defensive approach with his size, athleticism and physicality.

For that reason, extending him for the foreseeable future made sense for the Vikings. Just days after it locked up defensive end Everson Griffen with a big-money extension, Minnesota again ensured a key player will remain with the team for the long haul.