Ex-Vikings Defender Plots Comeback

Ex-Vikings Defender Plots Comeback
Oct 14, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive back George Iloka. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

Do you remember the game at U.S. Bank Stadium in 2020 when the Minnesota Vikings looked lifeless against the then-hapless Atlanta Falcons?

The Vikings were embarrassed on their home field with no fans in attendance by the winless Falcons, a team that had just fired head coach Dan Quinn. Raheem Morris scooped 53 men off the dirt and coached them to triumph in Minneapolis.

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Well, that was the last time former Vikings safety George Iloka played football.

Aug 24, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings defensive back George Iloka. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.

Now, though, Iloka is plotting a comeback after 19 months of recovery, trying out this week with the Seattle Seahawks.

Iloka didn’t do much with the Vikings — signed as a “Mike Zimmer guy” a couple of times — but he was productive before his Minnesota adventure. He was a five-year starter in Cincinnati (two seasons with Zimmer) and joined the Vikings in 2018. Iloka also rejoined the Vikings in 2020 for a menial impact.

He was used primarily on special teams during the Vikings experiments, a departure from his old assignment with the Bengals.

And Iloka is evidently adaptable if Seattle is auditioning him as a linebacker, as the 32-year-old has played safety throughout his career.

Cincinnati Bengals free safety George Iloka. © Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer, Cincinnati Enquirer via Imagn Content Services, LLC.

A 5th-Round draft pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, Iloka was at the peak of his powers with the 2017 Bengals, tallying a 71.8 grade from Pro Football Focus. Unless he breaks out with the Seahawks or someone else in 2022, that season was also his swan song as a starter.

In his career, Iloka has played 103 games, accruing 365 combined tackles, 10 tackles for loss, nine interceptions, and no sacks.

If Iloka is signed by the Seahawks, he’ll join a team most consider to be in a rebuilding mode. The precedent for former players making 53-man rosters after 19+ months away from the sport is minimal.

Iloka was selected eight picks before Minnesota chose Blair Walsh ten years ago in the draft.


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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Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily ... More about Dustin Baker