Banished Former Viking Shows Signs of Life
Remember Cameron Dantzler?
One former Viking — now in the UFL — still has some game left in him, and he could make an NFL comeback before too long.
The ex-Minnesota Vikings cornerback has popped up once again, strutting his stuff in the UFL and perhaps biding his time for an NFL comeback.
The 26-year-old pulled off a nifty pick-six last weekend, and that turned some heads.
Cameron Dantzler Makes Noise in the UFL
For starters, Dantzler’s UFL team, the Memphis Showboats, isn’t very good. They own a 2-6 record through mid-May but won last weekend over the San Antonio Brahmas, a team that employs another former Viking, Kellen Mond.
The Brahmas are 1-7, so in a battle of the terrible, Dantzler’s Showboats prevailed.
Along the way, Dantzler fired up this sweet transaction, helping Memphis win 24-22.
Fox Sports described the play: “The Showboats got a boost from their defense. Brahmas quarterback Kevin Hogan failed to look off his primary target, giving Cameron Dantzler an opening to make a play. The corner ran straight for the ball, picked it off and took it all the way to the house.”
TheUFL.com added, “The Brahmas had to overcome an early deficit after Memphis cornerback Cameron Dantzler returned an interception 43 yards for a touchdown on San Antonio’s opening drive. Despite falling behind 11-0, the Brahmas responded with a 38-yard trick-play touchdown pass from tight end Steven Stilianos to wide receiver Dee Anderson, sparking the San Antonio offense.”
“Overtime featured a unique UFL-style alternating two-point conversion format. Memphis struck first, converting both attempts for four points. San Antonio responded with one successful conversion — a pass from Hogan to Jontre Kirklin — but came up short on their second attempt, sealing the final 24-22 outcome.”
Topsy-Turvy NFL Career Resume
Here’s Dantzler’s career resume to date:
- Minnesota Vikings (2020–2022)
- Washington Commanders (2023)
- Buffalo Bills (2023)
- Houston Texans (2023)
- New Orleans Saints (2023)
- San Antonio Brahmas (2024)
- Hamilton Tiger-Cats (2024)
- Memphis Showboats (2025–present)
After departing Minnesota in the 2023 offseason, Dantzler never regained his footing in the pros as a consistent starter or contributor and has hardly played a defensive snap since the 2022 season — three years ago.
Dantzler with the Vikings
The Vikings drafted Dantzler in 2020 from Round 3, and after years of failed cornerback draft picks — a tendency that arguably still exists — Minnesota believed it had a gem in Dantzler.
His career began promisingly in purple, logging a 70.9 Pro Football Focus grade as a rookie and 73.8 in 2021 as a second-year defender. All told, Dantzler played 37 games for the Vikings, starting 26, and notably producing a 74.7 passer-rating-against in 2021, the peak of his powers, at least so far.
But then turmoil struck for Dantzler, and back-to-back coaching staffs, led by Mike Zimmer until the end of 2021 and Kevin O’Connell in 2022, benched Dantzler when it mattered the most.
He later bounced around to the Bills, Commanders, Texans, and Saints with zero staying power.
Hope for an NFL Rebirth
Dantzler is thriving in the UFL. No debates. He’ll hope the 2025 campaign in Memphis will act as a springboard back to the pros, as Dantzler has tweeted ad nauseam for about two years his plans to rebound and sign with an NFL team.
Putting the pick-six on tape for the Showboats should help. If Dantzler has corrected the actions that led to two doghouse assignments in Minnesota, the man should probably be on an NFL team’s practice squad, at worst.
Folks forget that Dantzler was quite good in Minnesota when on the field.
PurplePTSD on Dantzler
Over at our affiliate site, PurplePTSD.com, Janik Eckardt opined on Dantzler’s reemergence.
He wrote, “He has been fantastic. PFF has given him a season-long grade of 82.3, ranking third among eligible UFL cornerbacks. Dantzler has been targeted 12 times and allowed seven catches for 100 yards, zero touchdowns, and one pick. The allowed passer rating of 50.7 is absolutely phenomenal. Like many players in the UFL, Dantzler hopes to return to the NFL level. At the age of 26, that surely is possible.”
“The Vikings moved on in the 2023 offseason. Since then, he has had stints with the Commanders, Bills, Texans, and Saints. He couldn’t even last with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League, who released him after a few weeks on their practice roster.”
The Showboats’ season wraps up in two weeks, convenient timing for Dantzler to campaign for a summer roster spot with an NFL team.
Eckardt added, “His only game action after the Vikings said goodbye came in New Orleans. The Saints played him in two games and nine snaps on special teams. That was in 2023.”
“The Showboats have only one more game remaining. There’s a good chance someone will invite Dantzler on a try-out basis to check if the once-talented defender can replicate his spring league success on the NFL field. Don’t be surprised to see Dantzler in the news in the next few months.”
Dantzler will turn 27 this September. With youth on his side and a semi-impressive UFL tape in tow, he could end up back in the NFL, probably vying for a roster spot this summer if signed.
Oh, It Was a Good Day for Ivan Pace Jr.
You must be logged in to post a comment.