Report: Vikings Planning to Bring Back Veteran LB Anthony Barr
With Jordan Hicks injured, the Vikings are planning to bring back veteran linebacker Anthony Barr, according to Adam Schefter. He's signing to the practice squad, per Ben Goessling.
Hicks, the Vikings' leading tackler and team captain who is having an excellent year, underwent an emergency procedure on Sunday after developing compartment syndrome in his shin. He was still in the hospital as of mid-day Monday and will miss a minimum of one game, but possibly several.
"The pressure in that area, the damage it can cause if not handled with the utmost level of concern like our guys showed, could have been something that could have been very serious," Kevin O'Connell said.
The surgery went well, but O'Connell doesn't have any sort of timeline for when Hicks will be able to return. That prompted the need for an addition at inside linebacker.
Barr, 31, is a familiar face for Vikings fans. He was the team's first-round pick out of UCLA in 2014 and was a mainstay in the middle of the defense for all eight years of the Mike Zimmer era. A big, physical linebacker, Barr made the Pro Bowl in four consecutive years from 2015-18. He and fellow LB Eric Kendricks were at the heart of everything Zimmer did defensively.
In 2022, when the Vikings brought in a new regime, they let Barr walk in free agency and signed Hicks to replace him. Barr signed with the Cowboys and played in 14 games, starting ten of them. He's been a free agent since last season ended.
Over the course of his career, Barr has made 115 starts and played north of 7,000 defensive snaps. He's no longer the player he once was, but he brings a ton of experience and theoretically should still have some gas in the tank at 31. Kendricks is no longer around, but Barr has played a ton of football alongside Harrison Smith and Danielle Hunter in his career.
With Hicks out, rookie Ivan Pace Jr. will likely handle green dot communication duties and play a nearly every-down role on defense. Adding Barr gives the Vikings more experience and size in that room, and his abilities as a blitzer could be a good fit in Brian Flores' aggressive scheme. The Vikings also have Troy Dye, Nick Vigil, and Brian Asamoah II as options at inside linebacker.
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