Report: Riley Reiff Has Told Teammates He Expects to Be Cut
Earlier today, it was reported that the Vikings had given left tackle Riley Reiff an ultimatum: take a significant pay cut and remain with the team or decline that pay cut, get released, and become a free agent. The team gave Reiff until tomorrow (Tuesday) to make that decision.
Well, it sounds like we know what Reiff's choice is. According to ProFootballTalk, Reiff "has told teammates he expects to be cut."
That wording makes it sound like the Vikings are choosing to cut him, which is true. But what it really means, if accurate, is that Reiff has decided not to take a pay cut to stay in Minnesota for a fourth year. Instead, he will be released tomorrow and hit the open market. With less than two weeks before the season begins, this will have major ramifications for both the Vikings and another team.
The 31-year-old Reiff is an above-average tackle who has stayed very healthy during his eight NFL seasons. Given that, there should be some serious interest in his services across the league. I would expect him to be signed quickly so he can go through COVID-19 testing protocols and begin practicing with his new team as soon as the end of this week.
The Eagles, Bengals, Broncos, and many others could be in the market for a veteran tackle.
For the Vikings, this would mean that they need to re-adjust their offensive line with less than two weeks until the Packers come to town. With Reiff and backup left tackle Rashod Hill missing Sunday's practice, Brian O'Neill moved from his right tackle spot over to the left side, which is where he played in college. 2019 second-round pick Oli Udoh, who has had an excellent training camp, stepped up as the first-team right tackle.
If the Vikings feel strongly about Udoh and are comfortable moving O'Neill to left tackle, that could be the starting duo for Week 1. That would allow Hill to remain in his role as the swing tackle. If Hill returns to practice soon, it's also possible that he would start on the left side with O'Neill remaining at right tackle.
The Vikings drafted Boise State tackle Ezra Cleveland in the second round this year, but he has been working exclusively at guard during his first camp.
This PFT report could be wrong, of course. But it sounds like Reiff may have played his final snap in a Minnesota Vikings uniform.
Cutting Reiff, who has a cap hit of over $13 million in each of the next two seasons, would clear up $11 million in cap space for the Vikings this year and $11.75 million next year. Reiff has no more guaranteed money left on the five-year, $58.75 million contract he signed with the Vikings in 2017 after spending the first five years of his career with the Lions.
Related:
- Vikings Approached Riley Reiff About Restructuring Contract, Could Cut Him
- What Does Riley Reiff's Future with the Vikings Look Like? (Deep dive from July)
Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest news and analysis from training camp. Also, click the follow button in the upper right-hand corner of this page (mobile users, tap the bell icon – you may have to click ‘News’ first), leave comments below, and follow me on Twitter.
