Does No One Want Former Vikings Linebacker?
Ted Schwerzler
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Earlier this week, former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr went to New Orleans seeking a deal with the Saints. After that trip, he reportedly was headed to New York. With neither coming to fruition, does anyone want the Vikings castoff?
Does No One Want Former Vikings Linebacker?
When news broke that Anthony Barr would visit the New Orleans Saints, reports suggested that he and running back Alvin Kamara would be signing contracts to play with the Minnesota foe. Surprisingly, neither wound up with a deal and left without a home.
Still searching for a team on Wednesday, Barr was supposedly going to try his luck with the New York Giants. General manager Joe Schoen says that isn’t going to take place either. The Giants disinterest stems from wanting to take a longer look at younger linebackers.
This leaves the former Vikings fan favorite out in the cold, and as teams embark on their first preseason game of the season, he’ll continue to look for a place to play don 2023.
A season ago, the Vikings watched Anthony Barr don a new uniform for the first time in his career. After the New York Jets initially lured him away before the 2021 season, former head coach Mike Zimmer couldn’t help himself and brought him back on a bloated salary. Barr wasn’t the same player, and that Vikings defense didn’t perform to traditional standards. Barr played in just 11 games for the Vikings in 2021, and the oft-injured linebacker was on his way out.
Signing with the Dallas Cowboys for the 2022 season, Barr played in 14 games but drew starts in just 10 of them. His production dipped, and not unexpectedly, he’s hardly the Pro Bowl player he was in his youth. The Deal with Dallas was just for one year, and he now finds himself seeking employment on a short-term basis again.
It isn’t unexpected that an aging player would bounce around quite a bit at the end of their career. Barr has logged 112 games in the NFL, 98 of which came as a starter for the Vikings. He can be more of a rotational player at this point, but he still needs to find someone willing to take a chance on him.
After the Saints allowed him to leave without a contract in hand, and New York decided against bringing him in at all, Barr may be best suited to wait through the first preseason week and see what options open up. Maybe there is a way to rekindle old Jets feelings and unite with former sack target Aaron Rodgers.
If you recall, it was Barr who hit then-Packers quarterback Rodgers as a member of the Vikings, causing him to break his collarbone. Green Bay fans had plenty of hate mail for the former Vikings linebacker, and despite what looked like a rather unintentional hit, he was the face of scrutiny for cheeseheads after ending Rodgers’ season.
Barr isn’t going to come back to Minnesota but provided some very good memories alongside fellow UCLA Bruin Eric Kendricks. The two anchored the Vikings linebacking corps for quite some time, and fans adored both.
Here’s to hoping he can find a new home soon.
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Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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