These 11 Former Vikings Will Play in Playoffs This Weekend
Divisional Playoff weekend begins Saturday, with eight teams in action, and lasts through Sunday. Ultimately, per oddsmakers’ forecasts, the Detroit Lions and Kansas City Chiefs will meet in the Super Bowl.
These 11 Former Vikings Will Play in Playoffs This Weekend
But four games this weekend stand in the way of that forecast, and several former Minnesota Vikings players will be in the mix.
Sorted by team in the order of the NFL’s schedule, these are those 11 players. Men on injured reserve were excluded.
Houston Texans
The Former Vikings:
Danielle Hunter (EDGE)
Irv Smith (TE)
Kris Boyd (EDGE)
Hunter is probably the most notable former Viking in action this weekend, a member of the purple team for nine seasons.
He’s teammates with Smith, who did not work out in Minnesota. Boyd is mainly a special teams asset for Houston.
Detroit Lions
The Former Vikings:
Teddy Bridgewater (QB2)
Za’Darius Smith (EDGE)
Shane Zylstra (TE)
Once upon a time, Bridgewater represented Minnesota’s long-term solution at quarterback, but a gruesome leg injury ended that dream in the summer of 2016. Smith, traded to the Lions before the league’s deadline this season, has played for almost every NFC North team.
Zylstra’s first team? The Vikings, though he played no regular season snaps for the organization.
Washington Commanders
The Former Vikings:
K.J. Osborn (WR)
Jalyn Holmes (DL)
Sheldon Day (DL)
Fans will fondly remember Osborn, but he didn’t pan out with the New England Patriots this season. New England dropped him last month, and he promptly joined the Commanders. He hasn’t caught a pass yet as a Commander, but maybe Saturday will be different.
Holmes and Day are depth defenders.
Philadelphia Eagles
The Former Vikings:
Lewis Cine (S)
The Eagles love Georgia Bulldogs alumni — almost to fetish level — so general manager Howie Roseman wasn’t shy about stealing Cine from the Buffalo Bills’ practice squad a couple of weeks ago.
Cine is on the Eagles’ active roster but hasn’t played a snap yet.
Baltimore Ravens
The Former Vikings:
Michael Pierce (DT)
Pierce plays about one-third of Ravens’ defensive snaps. When he’s in the game, however, he does stuff like this:
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 MIN 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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