Minnesota Vikings fans celebrate their win. The New York Giants lose to the Minnesota Vikings, 28-10, in NFL Week 5 on Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019, in East Rutherford.
Nyg Vs Min Week 5
With training camp starting, the frequency of news coming from Eagan, Minnesota, increases drastically. On Tuesday, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made sure to add to the vibes of a new era of Vikings football with two moves that have generally been praised among the team’s fans.
Vikings Fans Experience a Delightful Tuesday
Aug 3, 2023; Eagan, MN, USA; The Minnesota Vikings host training camp at TCO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
The day started as scheduled: the remaining players followed the 38 early reported athletes and joined them in TCO Performance Center for their annual training camp.
With the beginning of training camp, football season is officially back. The players will compete for spots on the 53-man roster, roles within the lineup, or try to hang onto a place on the practice squad. In roughly six-and-a-half weeks, the Vikings will travel to MetLife Stadium to match up with the New York Giants in a rematch of Minnesota’s last playoff game.
As if that isn’t enough to celebrate, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah added some fuel to the fire by re-signing folk hero Duke Shelley. He played one season with the purple team and saw the field in only 11 games with five starts, but his feisty nature catapulted him into the hearts of many.
Minnesota Vikings cornerback Duke Shelley (20) signals an incompletion after breaking up a pass intended for Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (9) on Sunday, January 1, 2023, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
In his first contest, he broke up a pass intended for Buffalo’s tight end, Dawson Knox. A touchdown would’ve ended the game, but the cornerback secured the pass breakup against the way taller receiver, kept his team in the game, and the Vikings would win a memorable meeting in Buffalo.
That sequence pretty much tells the full Duke Shelley story. He is undersized, standing only 5-9, but he competes. Shelley replicated that type of pass breakup against taller wideouts like Michael Pittman in another memorable contest when he made various crucial stops in the largest comeback in NFL history. A couple of weeks later, he secured his first career interception against Chase Claypool, who also towers over the defender.
Shelley might not be favored to make the roster, but he has proven that he can never be ruled out. Beating out one of Andrew Booth, Akayleb Evans, Mekhi Blackmon, or Shaquill Griffin would almost certainly guarantee a roster spot.
Sep 19, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports.
Adding a fan favorite wasn’t enough for the GM, as he secured Christian Darrisaw’s services for four additional years. He is now under contract for six more seasons and is scheduled to be a free agent in 2030.
It is a huge extension, worth $113 million for those four seasons. But nobody is concerned because he has earned that type of compensation. In the last two seasons, Darrisaw has become one of the elite blindside blockers in the NFL. His dominance is remarkable; offensive linemen rarely produce entertaining highlight reels, but he surely does when he bullies defenders and pushes them around against their will.
Together with right tackle Brian O’Neill, Darrisaw forms one of the best offensive tackle duos in the league, and they will continue to open holes in the running game and protect the passers in the pocket. The latter part will be crucial for rookie signal-caller J.J. McCarthy, who will benefit from the two fantastic pass blockers who keep him clean.
It was an outstanding day for Vikings fans. Let’s hope that the following days will continue to deliver good news.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
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