Oct 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; A Minnesota Vikings helmet with an Oakley visor on the field during an NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings are on a bye this weekend, but one particular player is making headlines — for the wrong reasons.
According to Andy Slater from FoxSports 640 in South Florida, offensive lineman Oli Udoh was reportedly arrested in Miami for disorderly contact and resisting. Udoh “was talking to a woman in the bathroom line at a nightclub, followed her in, and then wouldn’t leave.”
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The arrest is the 56th for the Vikings since 2000, the most of any team in the NFL in the last 22 years.
The Vikings found Udoh in the 6th Round of the 2019 NFL Draft, and the Elon alumnus has played 30 games in Minnesota, starting 16 — most in 2021. Udoh started 16 games last year at right guard and was the franchise’s RG1 until Ed Ingram was drafted in April.
But Udoh took a backseat on the Vikings offensive line under the new regime led by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell. He’s only played three snaps on offense in 2022 and 27 special teams plays.
Udoh fired up a 54.4 Pro Football Focus grade in 2021 while playing 1,074 snaps. He was mostly notorious, though, as the 25-year-old registered 13 penalties for 114 yards. Both marks were second-most in the NFL among all players, only trailing offensive lineman Connor Williams.
It is unclear what will come of Udoh’s off-the-field infraction, especially with Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell in charge. He’s in the final year of his contract, slated to hit free agency in March. It’s worth noting that Udoh is the Vikings primary backup offensive lineman, a revamped group currently ranking 11th in the NFL per PFF.
The Vikings are 5-1 through Week 6, their best start to a season since 2016. A win next weekend versus the Arizona Cardinals would equal the team’s best start since 2009.
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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).