Beloved Former Viking Is a Free Agent Again
The experiment in New York didn’t last long for former Minnesota Vikings cornerback Duke Shelley.
Beloved Former Viking Is a Free Agent Again
The Giants released Shelley this week from the practice squad, and the veteran defender is now free to sign anywhere in the league.
KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweeted Tuesday, “Giants release Duke Shelley from practice squad.”
All told, Shelley played in one game for the Giants, logging 14 defensive snaps and 9 special teams plays. New York scooped Shelley when the Vikings cut him late in the summer, but he only saw action for 23 total snaps before the Tuesday release.
Shelley joined the Vikings in September 2022 on the team’s practice squad, a cast-off from the Chicago Bears, leaving fans to wonder, “Who’s the guy with the cool name?” For a while, Shelley was “just a guy” signed to the practice squad who’d play if cornerback depth dwindled to slim pickings. Indeed, Shelley was needed because of injuries to Andrew Booth, Cameron Dantzler, and Akayleb Evans — and he absolutely flourished.
The 6th-Round draft pick by the Chicago Bears began experiencing playing time versus the Buffalo Bills in 2022 — in one of the wildest NFL games anyone will ever witness. Before that opportunity, Shelley played a handful of special teams snaps but evidently wasn’t trusted on the field for defensive duty.
Well, he became trusted — really quickly — and was a defensive saving grace for the 2022 team. Shelley snagged his first career interception out of the sky against his former team in Week 18 that season. He tweeted about the Bears after the Week 18 win, “They had to feel how disrespected I felt when they cut me.”
When it was all said and done in 2022, Shelley was classified as the NFL’s fourth-best cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus, tallying an 82.9 grade. Only Sauce Gardner (87.9, NYJ), Patrick Surtain (86.8, DEN), and Jalen Ramsey (86.4, LAR) outperformed Shelley.
But when the 2023 offseason rolled around, Minnesota neglected to re-sign the 2022 standout, and he landed with the Las Vegas Raiders. He failed to make the Raiders’ active roster and later signed with the Los Angeles Rams, where he played sparingly.
Here’s his full NFL resume to date:
- Chicago Bears (2019–2021)
- Minnesota Vikings (2022)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2023)
- Los Angeles Rams (2023)
- Minnesota Vikings (2024)
- New York Giants (2024)
The Vikings then surprisingly re-signed Shelley this summer, and some envisioned a roster spot for the veteran corner. Ultimately, undrafted free agent Dwight McGlothern took his place.
Shelley turned 28 earlier this month and should latch onto another team’s practice squad before too long.
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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. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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