Matt Asiata is set to become a free agent but says he doesn’t want to leave the Minnesota Vikings.
In 2014 when Adrian Peterson was suspended for 15 games of the regular season, Matt Asiata was there to take up as much of the slack as he could.
Splitting reps with Jerick McKinnon for much of the year, Asiata finished with 570 yards and nine TDs on 164 carries. He added 44 receptions.
In 2015 Adrian Peterson returned and Asiata found himself heading back to the bench. He finished with just 112 yards on 29 carries.
Despite his greatly diminished role with the team, Asiata has no desire to leave the Vikings and test the waters of free agency. As he told Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer-Press:
FA RB Matt Asiata wants to get a deal done with #Vikings and not test market. "This is where I started and I want to stay with everybody.''
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) March 4, 2016
Does Matt Asiata still have a place with the Vikings?
Peterson will be back in 2016 by all indications, and Jerick McKinnon will reportedly have an expanded role in the offense. This will not leave many carries for Asiata or whoever fills the 3rd running back spot for the Vikings.
But Asiata doesn’t seem to care about having a big role, he just wants any role. That attitude is a big reason why the Vikings like Asiata in the first place.
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My guess is that Minnesota will have Asiata back for 2016 but that he will have to compete with a rookie draft pick in camp. Asiata can be a valuable backup/third-down back, but he is at best a fringe player in the NFL. And fringe players don’t get guaranteed roster spots.
You have to love Asiata’s commitment to the Vikings, but you also have to recognize that realistically there is very little if any market for his services outside of Minnesota. For him it’s likely stay with the Vikings or find a new line of work.