Vikings Forced to Work Out Impressively Old Terence Newman Amid DB Injuries
By Sean Facey
At the most critical time of the year, the Minnesota Vikings have been slammed with unfortunate injuries. The secondary in particular has struggled to stay healthy of late, which resulted in the Vikings working out a rather surprising individual.
To help mitigate the injuries to the secondary, the Vikings actually brought in 41-year-old cornerback Terence Newman for a workout.
The Vikings' injury issues at cornerback resulted in a workout of 41-year-old Terence Newman https://t.co/GtYmepB8Pg
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) January 11, 2020
Newman, a former Pro Bowler, spent the last three years of his career with the Vikings, but he hasn't played in an NFL game since the 2017 season. The fact that Minnesota entertained the idea of signing him proves how desperate they are for help.
The team's lack of depth was on full display in the Wild Card Round against the New Orleans Saints. Andrew Sendejo, who usually plays safety, actually had to line up at cornerback.
Things are indeed dire on the defensive side of the ball for the Vikings. Defensive backs Jayron Kearse and Mackensie Alexander have both been dealing with injuries and will not play in the Divisional Round, both significant losses for the team.
The #Vikings put CB Mackensie Alexander on IR, a day after he visited Dr. James Andrews for a meniscus trim. Alexander could’ve come back if Vikings advanced and will be fully healthy before free agency in March, but they needed depth now. CB Nate Meadors promoted.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 10, 2020
Ultimately, the Vikings chose to promote Nate Meadors from the practice squad, but the fact that they even entertained the idea of bringing Newman out of retirement is a testament to how thin they currently are on defense.