The Vikings will not tender offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles, agent Chris Gittings tells Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune (Twitter link). He’ll be allowed to explore the open market, but his agent says that the Vikings still have interest in retaining him.
Sirles came into the league as an unrestricted free agent, making him a candidate for the original round tender. The original round tender would place a one-year, $2MM hold on Sirles and give the Vikings the right of first refusal, though it would not net the Vikings any draft compensation in return. Apparently the Vikings have some interest in retaining Sirles as a reserve, but at a lesser rate.
Sirles has played predominantly at guard, but he made ten starts at right tackle for the Vikings in 2016. Categorized as a tackle by Pro Football Focus, Sirles was ranked No. 48 at the position with a poor 45.2 overall score.
In related news, Vikings interior lineman Joe Berger plans to test free agency.