A Reunion May Be the Docket for Former Vikings Defender
For some reason or another, former Minnesota Vikings nose tackle Linval Joseph appeared to be at the Vikings team facilities on Wednesday.
Joseph, 33, posted a video to his Instagram account showing the setup of TCO Stadium’s upcoming Granite Games, a CrossFit competition.
Spending the last two seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, Joseph remains a free agent, even after nearly three months on the open market. Joseph spent six seasons with the Vikings after departing the New York Giants in 2014. With the Vikings, he was a staple of the team’s defensive line, earning two trips to the Pro Bowl in 2016 and 2017 — The Golden Age of Mike Zimmer’s defense.
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But in 2020, a mass exodus occurred, and several keynote Vikings defenders scattered across the league via free agency. Joseph was among the crucial departures, along with Xavier Rhodes, Everson Griffen, and Trae Waynes.
If there is something to Joseph’s visit to Vikings headquarters, his potential role on the 2022 Vikings is unclear. Joseph is a nose tackle through and through, and the 2022 version of the Vikings seems poised to start the handsomely-paid Dalvin Tomlinson at the position. However, depth could not hurt, and theoretically, Tomlinson could be used at a spot other than nose tackle, as was the case for Minnesota’s 2021 defense when Michael Pierce was on the team.
Here’s Joseph’s history from Pro Football Focus:
- 2010 = 53.5
- 2011 = 62.3
- 2012 = 71.6
- 2013 = 73.4
- 2014 = 70.9
- 2015 = 90.9
- 2016 = 80.1
- 2017 = 90.0
- 2018 = 72.2
- 2019 = 71.2
- 2020 = 68.7
- 2021 = 63.1
Famously, Joseph has a large Vikings tattoo.
Joseph earned $8.5 million in 2021 per average annual salary. The Vikings, as of June 1, have about $11 million in cap space.
If Joseph does end up with the Vikings, the defense he last played for is fundamentally different. The only defensive starters held over from the 2019 team are Danielle Hunter, Eric Kendricks, and Harrison Smith.
And if the Joseph Instagram post is something unrelated to the Vikings, it will mean he was hanging out at the Vikings headquarters for unknown reasons — or arriving at the CrossFit competition two days early.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. 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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