A Familiar Name Will Be Available to Vikings This Summer
If you were a fan of the Minnesota Vikings last summer — you probably were if you’re reading this — you might recall the Ndamukong Suh sweepstakes.
The future Hall of Famer vacillated between landing spots for months, ultimately signing with the Philadelphia Eagles for their almost Super Bowl run.
A Familiar Name Will Be Available to Vikings This Summer
Well, that was then, and this is now, but the Suh-to-Vikings chatter could heat up yet again in 2023. The 36-year-old is a free agent, isn’t retiring, but also wants nothing to do with any team’s training camp — the perks for a veteran in the NFL, indeed.
Suh told NFL Total Access Monday, “I have no desire to be in a training camp. I will come in and watch and look and give some advice, but when Week 1 happens, I’ll be ready.”
Of course, that doesn’t sound too enthusiastic for team-building or whatnot, but he’s Suh, and at age 36, with his resume, he can seemingly point and choose or dictate the rules. It’s what he did last year and netted a relationship with a team that reached the Super Bowl.
The Vikings were credibly linked to Suh 11 months ago, but the two parties were allegedly stuck on financial terms. A cash-strapped Kwesi Adofo-Mensah reportedly couldn’t meet Suh’s price. On June 21st, 2022, USA Today’s Tyler Dragon tweeted, “There is mutual interest between the Raiders and Ndamukong Suh, per a source. Another team to keep an eye on is the Vikings. The Raiders and Vikings have both had multiple conversations with the free-agent DT.”
Suh also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before the Eagles stint, even winning a Super Bowl with the club in 2020 over the Kansas City Chiefs. To date, he’s played for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams, Buccaneers, and Eagles.
The Nebraska alumnus notched a 64.2 score from Pro Football Focus in 2022. He played eight games and 174 defensive snaps for the Eagles. Philadelphia, though, has now drafted every Georgia Bulldog defender known to man, and Suh may not be a priority to re-sign.
For the Vikings sake, the club certainly doesn’t have a need at defensive tackle — the position will actually undergo a few surprise roster cuts this summer. However, Suh’s presence would be an upgrade over players like Jonathan Bullard and Ross Blacklock.
A five-time Pro Bowler and three-time First-Team All-Pro, Suh is likely headed for Hall of Fame induction when he calls it quits, although his reputation at times in his career isn’t spotless. Due to some on-the-field antics, Suh was labeled “dirty” as a younger man. He’s recorded 71.5 sacks in his career with the Lions, Dolphins, Rams, Buccaneers, and Eagles.
Suh’s deal last year was for one year (eight games) and $1.8 million.
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 Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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