George Iloka was presumed to be a free agent target for the Minnesota Vikings but he will reportedly return to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports that free agent safety George Iloka will likely return to the Cincinnati Bengals.
The #Bengals are closing in on a deal with star S George Iloka, source said. They should keep one of their own.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2016
Reports from various sources had the Vikings showing interest in Iloka but we will never know how serious that interest really was.
The Vikings have one Pro Bowl-level safety in Harrison Smith but have struggled to find a second starter who is capable of performing at a consistently high level.
Robert Blanton played well at the safety position in 2014 when Mike Zimmer was running a dumbed-down version of his defense. Blanton was demoted in 2015 and Andrew Sendejo took over the starting job.
Sendejo did an adequate job but when the Vikings re-signed him this weekend they did not give him the kind of money you would expect a firm starter to receive.
With Sendejo being signed to an incentive-laden non-starter-money contract, it was presumed the Vikings would dip into free agency and pick up another safety.
Because of his Mike Zimmer connection, George Iloka shot to the top of every fan’s free agent wish list.
Iloka’s return to Cincinnati means the Vikings will have to look elsewhere if they are going to upgrade at safety. Reggie Nelson, another former Bengals player, remains a possibility.