Sharrif Floyd addressed his status on Wednesday from Vikings OTAs. Reports of the defensive lineman’s career being in jeopardy don’t appear to be entirely off base, with the fifth-year player unsure he’ll be able to play this season.
Floyd won’t go that far, but he did say it “might be a little too early to say” if he’ll play for the Vikings in 2017. This is the final year of the interior defender’s contract.
“No one has said that,” Floyd said, regarding the reports of this nerve issue he’s battling being a career-threatening ailment (via Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune). “I think it’s just a rumor going around right now. But right now, I think everything is going to be all right. It’s just a matter of when.”
The former Florida defender declined to go into specifics today with media about the nature of his injury. But he missed all but one game in 2016 due to a knee problem and underwent arthroscopic surgery on the troublesome right knee. The corrective surgery, though, did not return the 26-year-old Floyd to full strength. In the spring, Floyd’s right quadriceps muscle wasn’t functioning properly, per Krammer, who writes the nerve controlling it was affected during surgery. With the season barely three months away, Floyd said he has not resumed running.
Floyd’s fifth-year option salary of $6.757MM became fully guaranteed when he was unable to pass a physical once the 2017 league year began. Minnesota has taken protection steps this offseason in case Floyd can’t go, signing Datone Jones from the Packers — and moving him to defensive tackle after he played end in Green Bay’s 3-4 look — and drafting Iowa’s Jaleel Johnson in the fourth round. Tom Johnson is working alongside Linval Joseph with the first unit, per Krammer.