Vikings Folk Hero Could Sign in Houston
If you wonder what happened to Duke Shelley, the mystery could be solved in a matter of days.
If he plays his cards right, one former Vikings defender could become the newest member of the Houston Texans.
Shelley, a folkloric Vikings figure from the folkloric 2022 season, hasn’t quite replicated his success from that season, but he may get another shot in Houston this summer.
The Texans will try Shelley on for size this week.
Duke Shelley Trying Out for Texans Roster
Shelley popping up in the news cycle is actually semi-noteworthy, mainly because Vikings fans fell in love with the man three years ago.
Texans reporter Aaron Wilson wrote this week about the Shelley audition: “The Texans are working out veteran cornerback Duke Shelley, according to league sources. The audition follows a workout Monday for Houston Roughnecks cornerback Damon Arnette, a former Las Vegas Raiders first-round draft pick. Shelley, 28, is a former Chicago Bears sixth-round draft pick from Kansas State.”
“Shelley (5-foot-9, 176 pounds) has 93 career tackles, one interception and 14 passes defensed in 53 games and 11 starts. Shelley was with the New York Giants last season, playing in one game. He was previously with the Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams and Las Vegas Raiders. The Georgia native intercepted eight passes and recorded 165 tackles in college.”
Shelley could be a Texan by week’s end.
The Texans’ CB Situation
Why is Shelley working out in Houston? Well, veteran corner Ronald Darby retired last week, creating a bit of a void in DeMeco Ryans’ defense.
Here’s Houston’s CB corps before the Shelley tryout:
- Derek Stingley Jr.
- Kamari Lassiter
- Jalen Pitre
- Jaylin Smith
- Tremon Smith
- Myles Bryant
- Keydrain Culligan
- D’Angelo Ross
- Alijah Huzzie
Duke Shelley’s Legendary 2022 Run
Shelley barnstormed the league as a member of the 2022 Vikings — out of nowhere. He doesn’t possess prototypical outside cornerback stature, but it didn’t matter that season.
The free-agent defensive back produced a scalding 82.9 Pro Football Focus grade that season, generating a one-hit wonder chapter to his otherwise mundane career. After defensive coordinator Ed Donatell left in the 2023 offseason, Shelley was not a priority to re-sign, although Minnesota added him to the summer roster last year.
Shelley did not make the 53-man cut-off in 2024.
Here’s his NFL resume through six seasons:
- Chicago Bears (2019–2021)
- Minnesota Vikings (2022)
- Las Vegas Raiders (2023)
- Los Angeles Rams (2023)
- Minnesota Vikings (2024)
- New York Giants (2024)
Former Vikings Already in Houston
Meanwhile, Houston already employs a bevy of notable purple players. Here’s the gang:
- Cam Robinson (OT)
- Danielle Hunter (DE)
- Ed Ingram (G)
- Irv Smith Jr. (TE)
If Shelley signs on Houston’s dotted line, the franchise can reasonably be coined “Vikings South” with those four names on the depth chart.
PPTSD on Shelley Earlier This Offseason
Janik Eckardt wrote about Shelley at our sister site, PurplePTSD, this offseason: “Since his flash-in-a-pan campaign in 2022, in which he was quite fantastic, he hasn’t done much on the NFL field, playing a total of 90 defensive snaps while spending time with four different teams, including the Vikings. Shelley quickly became a fan favorite because of his play. The cornerback was outstanding at breaking up passes, especially those against much bigger receivers were impressive.”
“One of his first plays with the Vikings was against the Buffalo Bills when the 5-9 cornerback broke up a pass in overtime against Dawson Knox, a big tight end, with the game on the line. His overall feisty playing style was fun to watch. His play surely notched him some interest in free agency, right? Wrong.”
If Shelley earns a contract in Houston, he’ll face an uphill battle to make the regular season roster — just like the scene in Minnesota last summer.
Eckardt continued, “The cornerback was let go by Minnesota’s decision-makers and ultimately joined the Raiders on a near-minimum deal. However, Las Vegas said goodbye ahead of the season, and he was hired by the Los Angeles Rams, where he played 76 defensive snaps all year. In 2024, the desperate Vikings signed him at the beginning of training camp. He was cut a few weeks later, and he spent the first month of the season with the Giants, playing in one game and registering 16 defensive snaps.”
“Although he made some plays in the 2022 season, the purple team was right to let him go. Shelley turned 28 in October and hopes to find a new team for the upcoming season.”
Shelley will turn 29 in October.
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