A tweet from the running back on Sunday seems to indicate that he will not be returning to the Minnesota Vikings in 2018.
Whenever a player is able to play out the entirety of his rookie contract, it’s interesting to see how much they progress as each season goes by. This was definitely the case for Jerick McKinnon.
Drafted in the third round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2014, McKinnon had never been a full-time running back before entering the NFL (he was an option quarterback at Georgia Southern). But it didn’t take long before he was thrown out into the fire during his rookie season with the Vikings.
After Minnesota lost running back Adrian Peterson to a suspension, the team turned to McKinnon and Matt Asiata to lead the offensive backfield. The Vikings quickly realized McKinnon was the better option of the two and he ended up starting in six games during his rookie year.
Now, the young running back is preparing to hit free agency for the first time in his career. A return to Minnesota is possible for McKinnon, but it doesn’t seem too likely.
Especially after what he tweeted out on Sunday.
https://twitter.com/JetMckinnon1/status/972868437025480706
This would appear to indicate that the running back is planning to play elsewhere in 2018, which would be a smart move anyway.
Shortly after the Vikings’ 2017 season came to a close, McKinnon told reporters that he wanted to be with a team that provided him with a bigger role. Something that probably wouldn’t happen if he remained in Minnesota since Dalvin Cook will be returning from his knee injury in 2018.
A few teams are already rumored to have interest in McKinnon’s services for next season including the Oakland Raiders, New England Patriots, Tennessee Titans, and New York Giants.
Next: Which 2018 free-agents will the Vikings re-sign?
But as long he doesn’t end up with the Green Bay Packers, Vikings fans will likely still root for the young running back in 2018.