Bryant McKinnie Claims He Asked Vikings to Cut Him

Moments after being released by the Vikings, Bryant McKinnie got on the horn with his favorite website and gave his version of how things went down this afternoon at Winter Park. So which website am I talking about? PFT? Deadspin? Something else sports-related? No. How about TMZ?

Yes, Bryant McKinnie gave his first post-release statement to TMZ. Which is appropriate since McKinnie lately has seemed more concerned about his career as a would-be musical impresario and all-around entertainment guru than his actual football endeavors, even though I would assume he’s made much more money in his life from football than his record label and his nightclub appearances (I could be wrong about this).

We haven’t actually heard much yet from the Vikings on how the McKinnie decision was made, only getting a brief statement from Leslie Frazier saying, “This decision, while not an easy one, is in the best interests of our football team as we move forward preparing for the season. We appreciate Bryant’s contributions to the Vikings, and we wish him the best in the future.”

Unlike Frazier and the Vikings, McKinnie is only too happy to elaborate on the sequence of events. Somewhat surprisingly, according to McKinnie it wasn’t the Vikings’ decision to cut him at all, it was his. McKinnie says he instructed his agent to ask the Vikings for his release after they placed him on the NFI list for showing up out-of-shape. In addition to his weight issue, McKinnie also reportedly was told by doctors that his cholesterol is too high.

We now await the Vikings’ version of these same events. The cholesterol thing is interesting because it goes beyond just being overweight. High cholesterol can lead to heart attack, as I’ve learned from endless TV ads. Maybe the Vikings sat McKinnie for his own good and McKinnie actually did send his agent in there to ask for his release. At any rate, the Vikings clearly believed McKinnie had little shot at getting himself in game shape in time for the season, and decided it would be best to move on.

Follow FanSided on Facebook. Follow The Viking Age on Twitter.