Per Sources, Vikings Re-Sign Joe Berger to 2-Year Deal

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Mar 10, 2015

According to ESPN’s Ben Goessling, the Vikings have re-signed offensive lineman Joe Berger to a two-year deal. The news came through Berger’s agent, Tom Tafelski.

Berger was listed in a USA Today article regarding NFL free agency Monday morning, and there was some question as to whether or not he would remain with the Vikings.

Earlier this year, Chris Tomasson wrote the following about Berger’s unlikely NFL career:

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[Berger] was a skinny walk-on in 2000 at Division II Michigan Tech, which he attended to get an engineering degree.

After a redshirt season and two years on the team, nobody regarded Berger as a pro prospect. When the school announced it would drop football in 2003, Berger decided he would continue classes in Houghton, Mich., rather than transfer to another school to play football.

Two weeks later, the school decided to keep the football program, and Berger closed his college career with two solid seasons. The native of Newaygo, Mich., only can wonder where he might now be had that not happened.

“I’d be happily working as an engineer somewhere,” Berger said. “I’d be in west Michigan enjoying life, not knowing any different.”

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Luckily for the Vikings, Berger did end up in the league over a decade ago. Re-signing the 32-year-old veteran is a solid free-agency move by Minnesota, as he will retain some consistency as far as the offensive line goes.

Especially after recently releasing left guard Charlie Johnson, Berger staying on the roster is good news.

The guard has been in Minnesota for the last four seasons. During the 2014 season, Berger started at the right guard position in nine games after Brandon Fusco suffered an injury. Berger earned a $855,000 paycheck this season, and, according to sources, “is likely to see more money coming his way with the new deal.”

March 11 update: 

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