Vikings provide hint about Anthony Barr and his future
By Adam Patrick
Could the decreased salary cap this year result in the Minnesota Vikings parting ways with linebacker Anthony Barr?
It’s been a while since Anthony Barr last appeared on the field for the Minnesota Vikings. With the 2021 salary cap expected to decrease by a significant amount, the possibility of the Vikings releasing Barr to create cap space is something that can’t be ignored.
The Minnesota linebacker’s current contract doesn’t expire until 2024 and it comes with a cap hit of at least $15 million during each of the final three years. If the Vikings release Barr this offseason, it would free up just over $7.2 million in spending money.
Keeping the veteran linebacker or not this year is a decision Minnesota will have to make shortly since $7.1 million of his 2021 salary is set to fully guarantee on March 19.
Minnesota Vikings seem to be leaning towards keeping Anthony Barr
On Wednesday, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman spoke with some local members of the Twin Cities media during a virtual press conference. At one point in the session, Spielman appeared to drop a hint about Minnesota’s plans for Barr this year.
When speaking about the Vikings linebacker, he mentioned that Barr is a “critical piece,” of the team’s defense, and him just being on the field forces opposing offenses to “scheme for him.”
Then on Thursday, Spielman spoke to ProFootballTalk’s Mike Florio, and he mentioned how the return of Barr, Danielle Hunter, and Michael Pierce will help improve Minnesota’s defense next season.
So for those who have still been wondering if the Vikings will bring back Eric Wilson and let go of Barr this year, it doesn’t sound like this is what the team will be doing.
Things could always change during the next few weeks and it’s never safe to put 100 percent trust into anything that comes out of Spielman’s mouth (see Percy Harvin and Stefon Diggs). But these recent comments from Minnesota’s general manager certainly make it seem like Barr will be back in the starting lineup when the team hits the field for Week 1 of the 2021 season.