Vikings to honor Tony Sparano in 2018 with helmet decal

To honor their late offensive line coach, the Minnesota Vikings will wear a decal featuring his initials on the back of their helmets in 2018.

It has not even been a month yet since former Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach Tony Sparano unexpectedly passed away at his home in July.

Due to the timing of his passing being close to the start of training camp, the Vikings have not had much time to grieve, as they have had to try and put their focus back on football. But a number of Minnesota’s coaches and players have let it be known that Sparano would have wanted the team to get back to work and prepare for the upcoming season.

That’s just the kind of hard-working guy he was.

So to show their appreciation for their former offensive line coach this year, the Vikings will be wearing a decal on the back of their helmets featuring Sparano’s initials. At least according to a photo posted by NBC Sports’ Peter King on Wednesday.

It’s a classy move by the organization and one that will allow Minnesota to honor their former offensive line coach during the entire 2018 season. In the Vikings’ quest to win the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl, the team actually has an angel on their side this year.

After a void was left on the coaching staff due to Sparano’s unexpected passing, Minnesota decided to name Clancy Barone and Andrew Janocko the team’s co-offensive line coaches for this season.

Barone and Janocko have already had their work cut out for them in Vikings training camp this year. Minnesota has had to deal with a number of injuries to a few of their top blockers in camp so far and the unit’s two coaches have had to spend more time using backups on the first-team line

But sometimes that is just the nature of coaching in the NFL. It has never been advertised as an easy job, yet hundreds of guys enjoy the grind that comes with working in the league.

Guys like Sparano, whose legacy will now be remembered by the Vikings throughout the entire 2018 season.