AFC contender was reportedly interested in trading for Riley Reiff
By Adam Patrick
The Minnesota Vikings reportedly received calls about their starting left tackle.
If the Minnesota Vikings were going to make any deals before this season’s trade deadline, most assumed they would be looking to move some of their current players instead of adding any new ones to their roster.
Neither ended up happening, but that doesn’t mean the Vikings weren’t trying to make any deadline deals. Minnesota was reportedly interested in acquiring safety Will Parks from the Philadelphia Eagles and on Sunday, a report was released about the Vikings being involved in another potential trade before the deadline.
According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, the Tennessee Titans contacted Minnesota about possibly acquiring left tackle Riley Reiff before this season’s trade deadline.
Why didn’t the Minnesota Vikings trade Riley Reiff?
Obviously, a deal between the Titans and Vikings for Reiff wasn’t made before this year’s deadline. But what prevented a trade from happening?
One has to assume that Minnesota’s asking price was either too high or the Vikings just weren’t interested in sending their starting left tackle to another team this season.
Currently without a second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, it’s possible that this is what Minnesota could’ve asked for from Tennessee in return for Reiff. Some might view that as too high of a price tag for the veteran offensive lineman, but it’s not for a team like the Vikings who weren’t desperately seeking to unload him before the deadline.
After a couple of underwhelming seasons, Reiff has turned things around a bit for Minnesota this year. He’s been playing well and this probably contributed to the Vikings’ decision to not trade him as well.
If Minnesota dealt Reiff, it also could’ve potentially decimated the team’s offensive line. It would’ve been a move that signaled to the rest of the Vikings locker room that the front office doesn’t have a lot of faith in the team turning things around this season.
But Minnesota didn’t end up trading Reiff to the Titans or to any other team. He’s still the Vikings starting left tackle and he’s played a big part in the team gaining at least 160 rushing yards in five of their last six games.