Vikings Rumor: Retired defensive back open to returning as safety

A retired cornerback is rumored to be open to returning to the Minnesota Vikings this season.

It feels like several years have passed since Terence Newman has suited up for the Minnesota Vikings. In fact, the last time he played in the NFL was during the 2017 NFL season when he played in all 16 games for the purple and gold.

Since then, Newman has hung up his cleats and even had a brief stint on the Vikings coaching staff before finally leaving the game of football. Shockingly, Newman played in the league for 15 seasons and might be eyeing one more.

According to SKOR North’s The Scoop podcast with Darren “Doogie” Wolfson, Newman is reported to be in game-shape and is open to returning to the Minnesota Vikings to play safety during the 2020 NFL season if the team needs him.

One look at the Vikings depth chart and it is pretty obvious that Minnesota could use some help at safety. Past starters Harrison Smith and Anthony Harris, there is nobody to serve as a backup. That means the team would be forced to put a cornerback or linebacker in that role should one of those starters need to exit the game.

Moving to safety would also be something that could help Newman. At 42 years old, he would be able to patrol the field and not have to keep up with some of the speediest, biggest, and most most physical receivers in the league every play.

This is a partnership that could make a lot of sense considering how well Newman knows head coach Mike Zimmer. Plus, he could bring more of his veteran knowledge to a young, inexperienced group of cornerbacks that will be tested this season.

At this time, Wolfson says the Vikings will elevate a Practice Squad safety to the 53 man roster for Sunday’s game, so Newman may not be needed immediately but will be interesting to see if anything comes of this rumor. Darren Wolfson is typically a reliable source and Terrence Newman does seem to have found the fountain of youth, but