Vikings Offered Antoine Winfield More Guaranteed Money Than Seattle

Dec 2, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield (26) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. The Packers defeated the Vikings 23-14. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Did Antoine Winfield want to stay in Minnesota? All indications are that he did. Certainly he had no problem with the city, fans, coaches or his teammates. Did he have a problem with Rick Spielman? We’ve all read the reports. No point rehashing that again. Maybe something happened and maybe it didn’t. Here’s what we know for sure: According to Ian Rapoport, the Vikings had an offer on the table that would’ve paid Winfield in the neighborhood of the $3 million he got from Seattle for one year. And the Vikes were offering a fully guaranteed deal. But Winfield chose Seattle, where only $1 million is guaranteed.

Okay so he chose the chance to win a Super Bowl over the chance to return to Minnesota. But don’t we keep hearing how Winfield loved Minnesota? How he didn’t want to leave? So was he just chasing a ring by going to Seattle or was there something else?

Yes it’s true that, as a vested veteran, Winfield gets the full $3 million if he makes the regular season roster. So how big a deal is the guaranteed money? Well what if Winfield doesn’t make it to week 1? What if he blows out his knee in camp? He’s had injury troubles in recent years I don’t need to remind you. Point here is, any way you slice it, Winfield got a better money offer from the Vikings than he got from Seattle. And he took the Seattle deal.

Maybe it was about the shot at the ring. Or maybe it was about something else. It wasn’t about the money, we know that.

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