The past six months have been a roller coaster ride for new Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Michael Floyd.
In December of this past year, the Minnesota native watched as his career with the Arizona Cardinals unraveled in front of his eyes following a well-documented DUI arrest. Without a team for the first time since Arizona selected him with the No. 13 overall pick in 2012, Floyd found himself at a bit of a career crossroad and at the mercy of the NFL waiver wire.
He was passed over by nearly every team, but the New England Patriots ultimately claimed the former Notre Dame standout not long after his release from the Cardinals, presenting him with an immediate opportunity to return to the gridiron and prove the player that was once regarded as the successor to Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona not only still exists but is prepared to grill this notion into the minds of those who question his character and ability to change his personal NFL narrative.
Floyd was used sparingly during his two-month tenure in New England that concluded with confetti raining down on him and his teammates, but his lone receiving touchdown from quarterback Tom Brady epitomized the fire that burns ferociously deep inside the wide receiver and may one day be looked back upon as foreshadowing for an epic redemption story set in Minnesota.
“I just thought it’d all work out at some point,” Floyd said. “I’ve just been down here [in Arizona] working out, training every day and hoping for an opportunity like this to happen.
“It all worked out, and I’m excited to get back up to Minnesota.”
