Mike Hughes – CB
Mike Hughes might still be young in NFL terms. But when one considers the unfortunate injury history of the player, contemplating retirement might be more likely than most think.
The Vikings were expecting big things from the former first-round pick this season. They made the decision to part ways with Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, and Mackensie Alexander after the 2019 campaign and although they did draft the rookie duo of Jeff Gladney and Cameron Dantzler, there was still plenty of responsibility placed on Hughes’ shoulders heading into this season.
However, another serious injury brought his campaign to a premature halt. Unfortunately, this has been the story of his career.
Each of Hughes’ first three years in the league have all ended with a trip to Minnesota’s injured reserve list. His latest problem might be his most serious to date as there is just no telling what another big blow to the neck would do to his long-term health.
Couple this with a torn ACL in 2018 that took a substantial amount of time for him to recover from and it might be a case of Hughes cutting his losses if he is released by the Vikings with one year remaining on his deal this offseason.
Stranger things have happened in the NFL. More players are putting their health before anything else – especially in the current climate – and Hughes might come to the conclusion that the juice isn’t worth the squeeze anymore.