There’s Another ‘One That Got Away’ for Vikings
Dustin Baker
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A couple of weeks ago, we chronicled kicker Daniel Carlson’s success since leaving the Minnesota Vikings. The man has performed wonderfully for the Las Vegas Raiders. He didn’t do that for the Vikings, jettisoned from the team after a nasty second-career game that caused Minnesota to lose at Green Bay in 2018.
But Carlson figured it out. Good for him.
Another banished Vikings player is thriving, too – on a different side of the ball. He’s a defender for the Kansas City Chiefs.
His name is Mike Hughes. And when he plays, his production is quite delightful. General Manager Rick Spielman traded Hughes to Chiefs last May after the young cornerback habitually encountered injury. While in Minnesota, Hughes missed 50% of all football games. He wasn’t reliable enough for Spielman to explore the fifth-year of Hughes’ rookie deal.
So, Spielman traded him to Missouri for a 6th-Round draft pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Vikings also included a 7th Rounder in the deal. The trade occurred because Minnesota was likely on the cusp of outright releasing Hughes.
Lo and behold, Hughes is shining in Kansas City. He is not an every-down cornerback – Hughes has played 40% of Kansas City’s defensive snaps in 2021 – but the University of Central Florida alumnus is making the most of his opportunity when the Chiefs trot him on the field.
He even won AFC Defensive Player of the Week for his output last weekend.
Guess who could use some good cornerback play? That’s right – the Vikings. Patrick Peterson is playing admirably – when he’s on the field – but the rest of the group collectively struggles compared to the rest of the NFL. Paul Charchian of GuillotineLeagues.com illuminated Minnesota’s CB’s situation on Wednesday:
That ain’t very good – especially when the team showcases a quarterback who has 27 touchdowns to just five interceptions. For the most part, the Vikings offense is doing its part, whereas the defense is bottom-feeding. It feels like 2020 all over again.
What’s more, Hughes owns an 81.3 grade from Pro Football Focus. If he had that score on the 2021 Vikings, Hughes would be the team’s top defender through 13 games. If only Spielman kept him employed in purple clothes.
There is zero doubt that Hughes could’ve helped the 2021 Vikings. It’s absolutely indisputable. For Hughes, though, he must prolong this success in Kansas City. Seeing action in 40% of snaps is akin to the amount played by D.J. Wonnum for the Vikings in 2020. It’s tempting to glance at articles like this and proclaim Hughes as an All-Pro. Nope. At the moment, he’s sprinkling in dazzling production when his team calls upon him – just what the doctored ordered for a man trying to reclaim his career.
The only thing that separated Hughes from reasonable stardom with the Vikings was health. He wasn’t worth the 1st-Round pick in retrospect. Now, he’s got that 1st-Round-bust stink off him.
And the Chiefs are reaping the benefits – about 40% of the time on defense.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
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