APRIL 11, 12:14pm: More than a week and a half after the two sides agreed to terms, the Vikings have announced Greenway’s new deal, via a press release.
MARCH 31, 4:25pm: It appears that the deal has been agreed to. Greenway took to Twitter minutes ago with the following message for his fans:
“Nobody is more excited than me to help lead this team one more time! Dream achieved, going out a Viking!”
It’s a one-year deal, according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press (on Twitter).
12:48pm: The Vikings are close to a new deal with linebacker Chad Greenway, and it should be done soon, tweets Ben Goessling of ESPN.com. Alex Marvez of FOX Sports first reported (via Twitter) that a deal between the two sides is imminent, and will be completed as early as tomorrow.
Greenway announced his plan to play for one more season shortly after the Vikings’ Wild Card loss in January, and his intention all along had been to sign with Minnesota. While he reportedly received some interest from rival suitors, it appears that he and the Vikes will work something out after all.
Greenway, 33, has spent his entire NFL career with the Vikings, initially joining the team as a first-round pick back in 2006. The two-time Pro Bowler started 12 of 16 regular-season contests in 2015, recording 69 tackles and 2.5 sacks to go along with an interception, which he returned 91 yards for a touchdown.
The Vikings added Emmanuel Lamur in free agency earlier this month, so it remains to be seen exactly how the team’s linebacker situation will play out. Greenway may no longer be an every-down player, but the team figures to use him in a way that maximizes his strengths — Pro Football Focus graded him very poorly as a run defender in 2015, but he was solid in pass coverage.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.