EAGAN, Minn. — Interior defensive lineman Harrison Phillips makes an immediate impression. That happens when you're 6 feet 3 inches tall and nearly 310 pounds.
The Minnesota Vikings have certainly been impressed with the big fella, enough to give him a two-year extension worth a reported $19 million. The deal will keep him with the Vikes through 2026.
In 2023 - his second season with Minnesota since coming over as a free agent from Buffalo - Phillips helped anchor a Vikings defensive line that held opponents to 3.76 yards per rushing attempt, the fourth-best in the NFL. He tallied 92 total tackles, three sacks and six quarterback hurries. Only Carolina's Derrick Brown had more tackles than Phillips.
On the heels of a strong season, Phillips was among those named a Vikings team captain for the 2024 season.
A native of Omaha, Nebraska, Phillips grew up with a mother who was a home daycare provider and spent his childhood with kids of all ages, abilities and disabilities. It instilled in him a compassion for people who live with challenges, one that followed him into adulthood. Phillips did extensive community work while playing with the Bills, and upon arriving in Minnesota set up a foundation known as "Harrison's Playmakers," which serves young people from diverse backgrounds, those with developmental differences, individuals at risk of being lost in the system, and people dealing with other special needs.
Phillips is a three-time nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, once with Buffalo and twice with Minnesota. The award honors a player's commitment to philanthropy and community impact, along with his excellence on the field.