Shamar Stephen Removed from Non-Football Injury List
Sean Borman
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The Minnesota Vikings on Friday officially removed defensive tackle Shamar Stephen from the non-football injury list. He’s now eligible to return to practice.
DT Shamar Stephen has been removed from NFI. pic.twitter.com/rI833bcN8w
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 2, 2019
Stephen (6-5, 309) signed a three-year, $12.45 million deal with the Vikings this offseason. The 28 year-old spent the 2018 season with the Seattle Seahawks after spending the first four years of his career in Minnesota. For the Vikings, he is the expected starter at three-technique defensive tackle.
Stephen, also known as “The Big Fundamental” was brought back to help the defense in the run game. The Vikings boasted a top-3 run defense in 2017, when Stephen was last with the team. Defensive line coach Andre Patterson recently raved about Stephen’s ability to elevate the play of guys around him.
“#Vikings fans, Shamar Stephen is the real deal. K? Those of you that know me know that I don’t blow smoke. This guy is for real. And it’s a great thing that we have him back on our football team. Shamar makes all the guys around him better.”
-DL coach Andre Patterson (via VEN)
— Sean Borman (@SeanBormanNFL) July 19, 2019
With the return of Stephen, only DE Tashawn Bower remains on the team’s NFI (non-football injury) list while TE David Morgan and CB Mike Hughes remain on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list.