Can Pat Elflein resurrect his career with the Vikings in 2020?
By Dean Jones
Things look bleak for the future of Pat Elflein with the Minnesota Vikings. But can the offensive guard salvage his career with the franchise?
The career of Pat Elflein with the Minnesota Vikings is hanging in the balance after another tough season with the franchise.
The offensive guard needed to bounce back in 2019 following a season littered with inconsistencies. He was unable to do so and became the scapegoat for the Vikings’ eventual playoff elimination by the San Francisco 49ers last season.
This has left confidence in Elflein at an all-time low. Minnesota has not strengthened their guard position yet, although this is something they are expected to do during the NFL Draft later this month.
If Elflein is removed from a starting role, he can have no complaints. His deficiencies were exposed considerably throughout the 2019 campaign and they were more prominent than ever during the postseason.
The Vikings need to win right now. This will only come from making significant improvements to their interior line to give quarterback Kirk Cousins the best possible chance of going through his progressions in an offense that has lost the services of Stefon Diggs after he was traded to the Buffalo Bills.
Elflein may still be given one last chance to revive his career given Minnesota’s need to bring in reinforcements elsewhere. Most notably at cornerback and the defensive line. He might have, however, already moved past the point of no return.