Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings announced Wednesday they've signed offensive tackle Brian O'Neill to a contract extension.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported it's a five-year, $92.5 million deal.

O'Neill has been a stalwart along the Vikings' offensive line since being selected in the second round of the 2018 draft. He's made 46 appearances (42 starts) across his first three NFL seasons. 

The 25-year-old University of Pittsburgh product started all 16 games for Minnesota at right tackle in 2020. He received a strong 78 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.

"He's a great kid. He's very competitive," Vikings head coach Zimmer told reporters in July. "The intensity he has inside himself, and now being more of a leader, I think that's helping quite a bit."

O'Neill had one season left on his rookie contract, so he'll still count a team-friendly $2.8 million against the salary cap for 2021 before his new deal kicks in next year.

The Delaware native will continue to hold down the right tackle spot on a Vikings offensive line also expected to feature Rashod Hill, Ezra Cleveland, Garrett Bradbury and Olisaemeka Udoh.

Minnesota is set to kick off the new season Sunday when it travels to Paul Brown Stadium to take on the Cincinnati Bengals.

Everson Griffen is sticking with the Minnesota Vikings after all. 

The team re-signed the veteran defensive end Wednesday, one day after releasing him. According to the NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the Vikings "needed the roster spot for a day to make other moves, but as expected, Griffen's back."

The Vikings announced that they needed to include Irv Smith Jr., Kene Nwangwu and Dan Chisena on the 53-man roster before putting them on injured reserve so the trio wouldn't have to miss the season. Once those IR moves went through, Minnesota had the spots available to bring back Griffen and long snapper Andrew DePaola.

Griffen, 33, spent his first 10 NFL seasons (2010-19) with the Vikings, posting 74.5 sacks, 176 quarterback hits, 86 tackles for loss, nine forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, two interceptions and two defensive touchdowns. He was a four-time Pro Bowler and a key fixture on the team's line.

He signed with the Dallas Cowboys last summer but appeared in just seven games before being traded for a sixth-round pick to the Detroit Lions, for whom he played seven games as well. Between the two teams, he registered six sacks, 14 quarterback hits and seven tackles for loss.

He signed back with the Vikings on Aug. 23.

Griffen's release and re-signing is indicative of teams' roster-juggling this time of year as they look to fill out practice squads and adjust on the margins.

"Everything is fluid," Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer told reporters Wednesday. "So what you see right now probably isn't going to be the ending roster."

Defensive end Everson Griffen won't have to spend much time worrying about how he'll patch things up with Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins anymore.

The Vikings waived the veteran on Tuesday as final roster cuts came down. According to Ben Boessling of the Star Tribune, Minnesota could bring the 33-year-old back as part of the practice squad. 

Griffen made waves last season after tweeting—and subsequently deleting—disparaging comments about Cousins in Minnesota. After signing with the team on Aug. 23, he said he would try to clear the air and apologized for his actions. 

That appears less relevant now that he's looking for a new job. 

ESPN's Courtney Cronin reported the Vikings "want and expect to bring [Griffen] back." With a number of procedural moves yet to be completed before Week 1, Griffen may just be temporarily losing his roster spot.

Either way, it's a rough look for a 12-year veteran who spent his first 10 seasons on the Vikings defensive line.

In 14 games split evenly with the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions last season, Griffen compiled 33 total tackles with six sacks and four pass deflections.

Just how much he can add to a Vikings defense that finished in the bottom fourth of the league last year (393.3 yards allowed per game, 29.7 points allowed per game) remains to be seen. Given the club was willing to expose him as a free agent as final cuts were handed down says plenty.

The latest chapter of Griffen's time in Minnesota is already off to a rocky start.

The Minnesota Vikings have signed safety Harrison Smith to a four-year extension worth $64 million, according to Mike Golic Jr. of ESPN Radio.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network provided full details of the new deal:

Smith has spent his entire nine-year career in Minnesota, earning five Pro Bowls and one first-team All-Pro selection after being taken in the first round of the 2012 draft.

The 32-year-old finished last season with 89 tackles and 10 passes defended, while his five interceptions match a career high.

Smith's 28 career interceptions is better than all but two players currently on an NFL roster.

The safety has also showed his versatility over the past decade, tallying 13.5 sacks and 39 tackles for loss in his career. Adding the fact he has started 63 of 64 possible regular-season games over the past four years and Smith has proved to be an elite player for Minnesota.

It will lead to a significant raise after entering 2021 with a $10.23 million cap hit, per Spotrac.

The $16 million in average money over the life of the extension would rank second among NFL safeties, behind only Jamal Adams. 

Defensive end Everson Griffen is back on the Minnesota Vikings, which means the defensive line will have a familiar face and veteran leader this season.

It could also mean some awkward initial interactions with the team's quarterback.

Griffen held a press conference after the Vikings announced they signed him on Monday and told reporters he plans on apologizing to Kirk Cousins after posting and deleting critical tweets about the signal-caller in January.

"I'm just going to talk to Kirk and apologize to him and have a man-to-man conversation and we're going to leave it like that," he said.

Griffen played for the Vikings for the first 10 seasons of his career from 2010-19 and was a four-time Pro Bowler during that span.

He spent the 2020 campaign on the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions and finished with 33 total tackles and six sacks. It was a solid showing from the veteran, although he was also far behind the pace he showed in his prime while leading the Vikings' pass-rush.

The USC product had 12 sacks in 2014, 10.5 in 2015 and 13 in 2017 as one of the best pass-rushers in the entire NFL.

He may not be that productive at this stage of his career, but head coach Mike Zimmer said in the team's announcement that the plan is to use him as a "situational player" who can be used in pass-rushing situations.

As for the since-deleted tweets about Cousins, it should be noted that Griffen apologized for the comments in January when he tweeted at the Vikings: "I'm sorry for saying anything negative. I love this organization. Vikings will always have a place in my heart. If you want it, go get it. All love for real."

He is now back with the organization that drafted him and will look to help lead the Vikings back to the playoffs after they went 7-9 without him in 2020.

The Minnesota Vikings announced Monday that they have agreed to terms with free-agent defensive end Everson Griffen, who played for the organization from 2010 through 2019. 

ESPN's Jordan Schultz reported first the news.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted earlier Monday the contract was being worked on and that a reunion was "expected" ahead of the 2021 season "barring a snag."

Griffen split the 2020 campaign between the Dallas Cowboys and Detroit Lions.

The 33-year-old USC product opted out of his contract with the Vikings after the 2019 season and signed with the Cowboys last August. He was traded to the Lions in October, which set up a meeting with his former club in November.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer called Griffen a "good player" before the NFC North matchup, which didn't sit well with the four-time Pro Bowler.

"Coach Zimmer just wasn't a good coach, he was a great coach to me, so for him to call me a good player, that kind of hurts my feelings," Griffen told reporters. "On Sunday, I'm really looking forward to playing the Vikings and showing them that I am a great player."

The Arizona native then caused a stir in January with a series of Twitter posts, including one that said, "Kirk Cousins is ass." He later deleted the comments and apologized to the Vikings quarterback.

In July, Griffen reiterated his desire to rejoin the Vikings and sent a text message to KFAN's Paul Allen (via Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated) saying his decision to depart was a mistake.

"I never should've left the Vikings. I f--ked up," he wrote. "What I tweeted was wrong. The Vikings organization took great care of me through my ups and downs and I disrespected a lot of people."

Drama aside, Griffen was a stalwart along Minnesota's defensive line for his first decade with the team.

The 2017 second-team All-Pro selection recorded 355 total tackles, 176 quarterback hits, 74.5 sacks, 16 passes defended and nine forced fumbles across 147 appearances for the Vikings.

He remained productive in 2020, tallying 33 tackles and six sacks in 14 games (seven apiece for the Cowboys and Lions).

If Griffen rejoins the Vikes, he should slot back in as the team's starter at right defensive end opposite Danielle Hunter. The edge-rushing duo combined for 22.5 sacks in 2019.

Minnesota dropped to 28th in the NFL with 23 sacks in 2020. On top of Griffen's departure, Hunter missed the season with a neck injury, leaving the squad depleted at defensive end.

The Vikings kick off the regular season Sept. 12 when they visit Paul Brown Stadium to face the Cincinnati Bengals.

Patrick Peterson signed a one-year deal worth $8 million with the Minnesota Vikings this offseason, though not before the Arizona Cardinals reportedly ghosted him. 

Peterson told The Athletic's Dan Pompei that the Cardinals repeatedly told him they wanted him back, and that general manager Steve Keim told him "we're going to do everything to get you back." 

But once free agency began, Peterson said all he got from the organization was radio silence.

"I was just frustrated and upset at how upper management handled the situation," he said. "You tell me one thing, then when it's time to talk, you turn your shoulder on me like it's cold shoulder. I've been in this league a long time. Thirty years old. Grown man. Talk to me like a grown man, not like a child or your side piece."

Peterson said he finally heard from Keim after he agreed to the deal with the Vikings.

"He had the nerve to text me, talking about how I love you, wish you nothing but the best," he said. "Now your phone work all of a sudden. I found that as the ultimate disrespect right there."

The good news for the Vikings, through all of this, is that they'll be getting a very, very motivated Peterson. 

"I have a chip on my shoulder. A big one. A very big one," he said. "It's probably the biggest chip I've ever had on my shoulder. You gonna get the real P2 this year."

Peterson, 31, played all 16 games for the Cardinals last season, posting 61 tackles, three interceptions and eight passes defensed. It wasn't his best year, however. He led the NFL in penalties, being flagged 14 times (seven for holding).  

"Truthfully, last year wasn't his best year," former NFL cornerback and Peterson's trainer, Rod Hood, told Pompei. "He had a down year. A lot went into that."

Hood said in particular that Peterson fit well in James Bettcher's schemes when he was defensive coordinator in Arizona (2015-17), allowing the veteran cornerback to play a lot of man-to-man coverage. But he struggled more when subsequent coaches "pulled back the reins with him and tried to make him conform to what they wanted him to be."

Regardless, Peterson is ready to prove he's still one of the top lockdown corners in the game with the Vikings. Head coach Mike Zimmer and the Vikings plan to allow him to run more press-man out wide. And he's already impressed his teammates.

"I was thinking at the end of practice today I have to go and talk to him and tell him he's making me better," Thielen said about practicing against Peterson. "He's got that dog in him. I talk a lot about what that 'it' factor is. I call it the dog factor, but you have to have it in this league to be that superstar, to be that guy who makes a team go from good to great. He's that guy."

Holland Hospital in southwest Michigan has severed ties with Minnesota Vikings star Kirk Cousins because of the quarterback's refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine.

In a statement released Friday (via WHTC), the medical center in Cousins' hometown said it can no longer use the 32-year-old as a spokesperson in the interest of consistent and safe public messaging:

As the trusted health care leader along the lakeshore, we are committed to providing accurate, timely health information and guidance based on guidelines from the CDC and medical experts.

While we acknowledge that each person is entitled to their own viewpoints, those who speak on our behalf must support messages that align with the hospital's position on matters of vital importance to individual and community health.

For this reason, Holland Hospital will discontinue using Kirk Cousins as our spokesperson for now. We are proud of our association with Kirk. He embodies many values we respect and share as part of our work culture.

However, we must be certain that our communications about COVID vaccination are consistent and unequivocal.

The clear recommendation from the CDC and leading medical experts is that the COVID vaccine is safe, effective and the best defense against becoming infected with the virus. Evidence also indicates that vaccinated individuals may be less likely to carry and transmit the virus to others including children, family members and friends.

For these reasons, Holland Hospital has and will continue to strongly recommend the COVID vaccine to those who are eligible to receive it. It is important that Holland Hospital maintain the trusted reputation we have earned for providing consistent, truthful information and evidence-based health care guidance.

WHTC reported Cousins had appeared in videos for the hospital since 2017.

The veteran was one of three quarterbacks Minnesota placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list recently and has acknowledged he did not receive the vaccine. That decision drew the ire of head coach Mike Zimmer, who noted the competitive advantage gained by clubs that have a majority of their players vaccinated. The Vikings reportedly have the lowest vaccination rate in the league with less than 85 percent of players having been vaccinated. 

The NFL told clubs in July that if a COVID-19 outbreak among unvaccinated players results in the cancellation of a game that cannot be rescheduled, the team that has the outbreak will forfeit the contest. 

After landing on the COVID-19 list, Cousins told reporters the reason he was declared a close contact is because the quarterback room was too small. He suggested he could sit behind plexiglass to be "vigilant" indoors.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson suffered a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder during Friday's training camp practice. 

The second-year pro was seen grabbing at the joint but the Vikings said the ailment was "not serious," according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, who noted further testing will be done this weekend:

Jefferson was been phenomenal for the Vikings in his rookie season, catching 88 passes for 1,400 yards and seven touchdowns in 2020.

Minnesota selected Jefferson with the 22nd overall pick in the 2020 NFL draft after the ex-LSU star amassed 111 receptions, 1,540 yards and 18 touchdowns for the undefeated national champion Tigers.

He arguably posted the most impressive individual stat line of the year against Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff national semifinal game with 14 catches for 227 yards and four scores.

Jefferson rode that momentum into the pre-draft process as part of a loaded wideout class that included Alabama's Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III and Oklahoma's Cee Dee Lamb, among others. He was the fifth wideout taken in the class.

The 6'1", 202-pound pass-catcher soon found himself in an advantageous spot for playing time as the Vikings entered the draft with an open spot on the depth chart after trading Stefon Diggs to the Buffalo Bills.

He and Adam Thielen have formed a dynamic wideout duo in Minnesota and figure to do so for years to come. Jefferson's rookie year ended with 88 catches, 1,400 yards and seven scores.

The Vikings will work to make sure the injury doesn't impact Jefferson's long-term health with the start of the season a few weeks away. Minnesota travels to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 on September 12.  

For the first time in five days, the Minnesota Vikings are going to have Kirk Cousins back on the practice field Thursday. 

The Vikings announced that Cousins and backup quarterback Nate Stanley have been activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list. 

Cousins, Stanley, Kellen Mond and receiver Myron Mitchell were all placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday. 

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, Cousins was identified as a high-risk close contact on Saturday prior to being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. 

There's been no confirmation of whether or not Cousins tested positive for the virus. 

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer didn't name anyone publicly, but he used the situation to stress the importance of everyone getting vaccinated. 

"I just don't understand. I just don't understand," Zimmer told reporters on Monday. "I think we could put this thing to bed if we all do this [get vaccinated]. But it is what it is."

Per Nicki Jhabvala of the Washington Post, Minnesota has the lowest vaccine rate in the NFL with 64.5 percent of players fully vaccinated. 

Jhabvala noted that 90 percent of all players across the NFL are at least partially vaccinated. 

The Vikings signed Case Cookus and claimed Danny Etling off waivers on Monday to give them enough quarterbacks to go through practice. 

Cousins will be eligible to practice today. The Vikings play their first preseason game Aug. 14 against the Denver Broncos.