REPORT: Minnesota Vikings expected to sign free-agent safety

Recently released by the Cincinnati Bengals, safety George Iloka is visiting the Minnesota Vikings on Wednesday and will reportedly join the team.

If there is one thing that has been true about Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer during his career in the NFL, it’s that his players love to play for him.

Zimmer is known for being brutally honest and he’s not afraid to let the guys he’s coaching know his true feelings about them. It’s a trait of his that a number of players around the league have appreciated about Zimmer.

Oh, and he’s good at what he does. Zimmer has a way of bringing the best out of his guys on the field, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Minnesota Vikings

Since he became the Vikings’ head coach in 2014, Zimmer has had a number of his former players show interest in coming to the Twin Cities. The latest is safety George Iloka.

Iloka, who was released by the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, will be meeting with Minnesota on Wednesday according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. The free-agent safety is expected to sign with the Vikings as well according to the report.

Iloka has been in the league since 2012 and he was a full-time starter on the Bengals’ defense for the last five seasons. Last year, the safety started all 16 games for Cincinnati and he finished with 79 total tackles, five pass deflections, and one interception.

During Iloka’s first two seasons with the Bengals, Zimmer was his defensive coordinator. The two tried to reunite in 2016 when the safety was a free-agent, but Iloka opted to re-sign with the Bengals instead.

What Iloka’s potential signing means for the other Minnesota safeties this year is unknown at this point. Harrison Smith’s job is obviously safe with the Vikings, but the team is clearly not satisfied with the other safeties who are on their current roster.

Update: Minnesota officially announced the signing of Iloka on Wednesday.