Minnesota Vikings display brilliant contract structure in deal with Stephon Gilmore

The Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms with cornerback Stephon Gilmore on a one-year contract worth up to $10 million on Sunday morning. It was a massive signing for a cornerback room that has been decimated by injuries.

Gilmore might not be the player that he was when he won Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, but he can still be a valuable asset for the Vikings. The key was going to be how his contract was structured.

We have that information now thanks to The Star Tribune's Ben Goessling . The structure is as follows, all of which is fully guaranteed:

• $3.5 million signing bonus
• $2.48 million base salary
• $1.02 million in per-game roster bonuses

The key element here is the signing bonus. The Vikings added two void years to the deal which makes the cap hit $4.66 million in 2024 and $2.33 million in dead money in 2025.

Adding Gilmore for the Vikings elevates the floor of the defense significantly. It's also a really good price for the team, as he doesn't impact the salary cap that much. The void years also show that the Vikings might be interested in bringing him back next year and beyond if things go well. Now, it could just be to keep cap flexibility this season, but it's worth considering.

Nevertheless, Rob Brzezinski does it again

Related: Predicting the Minnesota Vikings practice squad: which UDFAs make the cut?