EAGAN, Minn. – One of Harrison Phillips' Playmakers got her wish.

Earlier this spring during a speaking engagement with Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell, audience members had a chance to ask questions. Elizabeth, a member of Phillips' foundation supporting young people with developmental differences, took the opportunity to tell O'Connell he should "keep Harrison Phillips in Minnesota forever."

The "forever" part doesn't seem likely, but the Vikings did secure Phillips through the 2026 season.

Minnesota agreed to a deal with the defensive tackle Tuesday, the team announced.

"It was a lot. It was emotional. I'm super thankful," Phillips told Twin Cities media members Wednesday. "To have enough perspective to see what I've accomplished in my career so far, to go out and earn something like this, it means a lot to me."

Referencing a photo he posted on Instagram almost exactly one year ago, Phillips said he "can't imagine what my younger self would think" seeing him sign a second deal with Minnesota.

Phillips knew an extension could be on the table after two seasons in Purple but wasn't entirely sure how timing would work out.

"I understand how rare it can be for defensive linemen getting near their 30s, third contracts, stuff like that," he said. "I understood, too, from a player perspective who wants this organization to be as good of an organization as we can, that we needed to address our quarterback situation. We needed to figure out the Justin Jefferson situation. We needed to lock up one of the best tackles in the NFL (Christian Darrisaw).

"So, you know, I just prayed a lot, understood that my time would come if God wanted it to," Phillips added.

He's thankful that time came just one game into the regular season and ahead of Minnesota's home opener.

In the Vikings 28-6 win over the Giants in Week 1, Phillips recorded five tackles, 1.0 sack, a tackle for loss and a pass defensed.

The 2024 season marks Phillips' seventh in the NFL and third with the Vikings after joining Minnesota as a free agent in March 2022.

Phillips spent his first four NFL seasons in Buffalo after being drafted 96^th overall in 2018. Since then, he's played 79 games (45 starts) for the Bills and Vikings and totaled 258 tackles, 6.0 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, four fumble recoveries and six passes defensed.

Phillips has started all 34 regular-season games he's played for Minnesota and played a career-high 839 defensive snaps last season. He recorded a single-season-high 3.0 sacks, all of them in road games.

O'Connell pointed out that Phillips was one of the first free agents brought in by him and General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

"There was a lot to really like about Harrison from afar, and then when we brought him in, you really started to see even more from a leadership standpoint, he's consistent every single day," O'Connell said. "His teammates voted him a captain, his first time in his career. Was the [Vikings Walter Payton NFL] Man of the Year [nominee] last year.

"Although it always tends to circle back to what you do in between the white lines, which Harrison has been really rock solid for us and really played a ton of snaps for us, it's also those other things that, as a coach, I can rest easy knowing Harrison's going to be here for much longer than just this year," O'Connell added.

As O'Connell referenced, Phillips regularly joins the Vikings Community Tuesday efforts, supporting causes that include social justice, food insecurity, youth health and education. He also is hands-on with Harrison’s Playmakers, his nonprofit committed to coaching and mentoring children facing social, physical, and economic challenges.

The community aspect also played into Phillips and his wife Shae – plus their dog Marty, who joined for the extension signing – wanting to stay in Minnesota.

"There's just a lot of things," he said. "You talk about my organization, Harrison's Playmakers, and what we've been able to do here in the cities, and the need I see for that to continue to grow here.

"I was measuring as many factors as I could," Phillips added. "And with my team and my agents and the Vikings, we ended up getting it done."