Minnesota Vikings: 5 Players that should be re-signed for 2020
5. Stephen Weatherly
On the defensive side of the ball, the Minnesota Vikings contain one of the top defensive end groups in the NFC and the NFL as a whole. One of the key pieces among the depth that lies within that defensive end unit comes with defensive end Stephen Weatherly, whose contract has expired following the conclusion of the 2019 campaign.
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This past season, the defensive end wrapped up his fourth season in the league and with the Vikings after he was drafted out of Vanderbilt by Minnesota in the seventh round of the 2016 Draft.
In 2019, Weatherly appeared in all 16 games and made one start on defense for the purple and gold, primarily serving as a backup to Everson Griffen, who might be on his way out of Minnesota. The 25-year-old Weatherly completed the regular season schedule with a total of 24 tackles, including five tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits and one forced fumble. He also added three sacks on the year, which tied a career-high mark.
Weatherly’s fate in Minnesota could rely heavily on what Griffen, who has the option to void the last three years of his contract this offseason, decides to do and if he returns to the Vikings in 2020.
If Griffen and the Vikings end up parting ways, that could mean that Weatherly could find himself in a larger role on defense and could slide into that spot currently held by Griffen on the outside of the defensive line.
Weatherly proved his worth as a backup in 2019 and Minnesota could view him as a player it would like to re-sign and hold onto going into a new season and beyond.