May 25, 2022; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Sheldon Day (92) walks off the field during organized team activities at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports.
Vikings Sign a New Sheldon
He isn’t quite Sheldon Richardson from iterations of Vikings past, but his name is Sheldon, and he plays defensive tackle.
That’s right. The Vikings welcomed a different Sheldon to the roster on Wednesday — Sheldon Day, a defender who last played for the Cleveland Browns in 2021.
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The move for the Vikings arrives as incumbent starter Jonathan Bullard was placed on Injured Reserve last week with a bicep injury. James Lynch is the current start in Bullard’s stead, but Day will Iive on the practice squad as the next man up if something happens to Lynch or rookie Esezi Otomewo.
The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Day in the 4th Round of the 2016 NFL Draft, and he’s played for the 49ers, Colts, and Browns since. In fact, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah worked in the Browns front office during Day’s employment in Cleveland. There was an apparent connection between Adofo-Mensah and Day forged at the previous workplace.
The 28-year-old has a plethora of experience, playing 67 games in six seasons, starting 3 of those contests while racking up 76 total tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 11 QB hits, and 7 sacks. And per Pro Football Focus, Day usually lives in the high-50s and low-60s range for performance.
In Cleveland last year, Day played 46% of all defensive snaps, a career-high for the Notre Dame alumnus. He was also a part of the 49ers team that reached the Super Bowl in 2019 before a loss to Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs.
Day is the definition of a “depth defensive tackle,” so you are unlikely to hear his name on Sundays, if ever. Unless the coaching staff falls in love with him, he’ll live on the practice squad until more injuries arise.
He was on the Browns roster for most of the spring and summer but was released when the club began roster shavedowns in preparation for the 2022 season.
Day was actually on the San Francisco team that tormented the Vikings in the 2019 postseason. The Vikings upset the New Orleans Saints in the wildcard round, traveled to California for a Divisional Round date, and were dismissed by San Francisco, 27-10. Day logged two tackles and a tackle for loss in that contest.
Day was teammates at Notre Dame with Will Fuller, Zach Martin, Ronnie Stanley, and Manti Te’o.
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 Sal Spice. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).