Vikings mentioned as a possible landing spot for Vontaze Burfict

The veteran linebacker was recently released by the Cincinnati Bengals and the Minnesota Vikings were mentioned as a possible team that he could join for the 2019 season.

Since Mike Zimmer became the team’s head coach in 2014, the Minnesota Vikings haven’t shied from taking a chance on a player with a controversial past. Could they be interested in adding a guy who has been suspended multiple times during his time in the NFL?

Looking into what lies ahead for the career of linebacker Vontaze Burfict after he was released by the Cincinnati Bengals on Monday, Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio suggested a few teams that he could end up with in 2019. Given his time spent working with Zimmer in the past, Florio mentioned the Vikings as a possible team that could sign Burfict this year.

This seems like nothing more than an educated observation, but is there actually any chance that the former Bengals linebacker could end up with Minnesota in the near future? Realistically, Bud Grant at his current age of 91 has a better chance of suiting up for the Vikings in 2019 than Burfict does.

His chance of landing with Minnesota this year doesn’t even really have to do with his history of suspensions either. There really just isn’t a spot for Burfict on the Vikings’ roster that would make it worth the team bringing him in.

Minnesota is already set with Anthony Barr and Eric Kendricks as their top linebackers. There’s no sense in adding someone else to the mix who may end up complaining about not getting enough playing time.

Burfict’s two years with Zimmer as his defensive coordinator in 2012 and 2013 are still the two best statistical seasons of the former Cincinnati linebacker’s career. So it wouldn’t come as a surprise if he was actually interested in reuniting with his old coach in Minnesota.

But if the Vikings end up receiving a call from Burfict during the next few weeks, the team should just put Zimmer on the phone so he can politely say, “no thank you.”