Beloved Ex-Viking Wants Back In
One month ago, former Minnesota Vikings cornerback Duke Shelley auditioned for the Houston Texans’ summer roster.
Treasured former Vikings cornerback Duke Shelley hopped into the conversation about the purple secondary, reminding everyone he’s still available. Here are the details.
Fast forward to July, a few weeks before training camp, and Shelley wouldn’t mind running it back with the Vikings, a team he utterly captivated in 2022.
Shelley used Instagram to mention his free-agent status this week, and he sounded half-serious.
Duke Shelley Endorses Vikings Reunion
Instagram was the spot for Shelley’s idea.
Duke Shelley Says He’s Available
A Vikings fan-themed account posted this to Instagram last week: “The Vikings regime would ‘prefer to make the smart move, not the big move,’ in terms of potentially adding a CB to the roster, per Alec Lewis. This is why Minnesota decided to pass on both Jaire Alexander and Jalen Ramsey. There are still plenty of options available via free agency/trade if they decide to bolster the CB room at some point in the near future. Make sure to follow the @aleclewisshow to hear great insight from the best Vikings beat writer, Alec Lewis!”
On the same platform, underneath the post, Shelley replied, “I’m a free agent.”
And there you have it — a reunion endorsement from the man himself.
The Duke Shelley Season
Minnesota onboarded Shelley in 2022, the first season under general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell. The club finished the season with a sweet 13-4 record, notching nailbiting victories virtually every week before a one-and-done playoff performance at home against the New York Giants.
Shelley climbed from the practice squad to the active roster — and quickly snagged a starter’s job that year. He banked a mind-boggling 55.2 passer-rating-against and checked in as Pro Football Focus‘ fourth-best cornerback overall that year with an 82.6 grade.
But then that was it. Shelley never rekindled the one-hit wonder season and has bounced around the NFL since, even rejoining the Vikings last summer on the 90-man roster before his release amid cutdowns.
Full Career Resume
Here’s Shelley’s destination list through six NFL seasons:
- Chicago Bears (2019–2021)
- Minnesota Vikings (2022)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2023)
- Los Angeles Rams (2023)
- Minnesota Vikings (2024)
- New York Giants (2024)
Shelley’s tryout in Houston occurred last month after veteran Ronald Darby retired.
Realism of a Shelley Signing?
If Minnesota wanted Shelley for the long haul, it probably would’ve employed him on the practice squad last season. In fact, when Adofo-Mensah re-signed him last summer, many were surprised because they thought that ship had sailed.
It’s also worth noting that the 2025 team could use an extra cornerback. It’s why names like Jaire Alexander and Jalen Ramsey were so prevalent in the rumor mill in recent months until those men landed with the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, respectively.
A Shelley reunion — that he requested — is certainly possible but not likely on the whole.
PurplePTSD on Duke Shelley
When Shelley popped up in the Texans’ news cycle last month, our own Janik Eckardt wrote, “He played 12 games for the Vikings and logged six starts, including one postseason matchup. In Week 18, he caught his first interception in the NFL. Shelley recorded 31 combined tackles and defended eight passes. Minnesota didn’t extend the fan favorite’s contract in the following offseason, and he moved on.”
“Since then, he has played only 90 defensive snaps, spending time with the Raiders, Rams, Giants, and a second stint with the Vikings last offseason. Now, he might be on the move again.”
A contract did not materialize in Houston, at least not yet.
Eckardt continued, “The Houston Texans will try him out. Cornerback Ronald Darby retired last week, opening a spot for the defender. Shelley is an undersized cornerback. The Bears tried to play him in the slot, but he excelled in the Twin Cities as an outside defender, despite his size limitations. At 5’9″, Shelley is too short to play on the outside, at least on paper.”
“Yet, he still batted the ball away from Knox, got into a hand fight with taller wideout Chase Claypool, and took on Michael Pittman Jr. His play style can be described as feisty, and that’s how he played himself into the hearts of Skol Nation.”
Shelley will turn 29 in October.
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