Michael Pierce – DT
After parting ways with Linval Joseph in the 2020 offseason, the Vikings brought in Michael Pierce last year to be the team’s new nose tackle. Minnesota had to wait a little longer before they could see Pierce out on the field since he decided to opt-out of the 2020 season due to concerns about COVID-19.
So following a year off the field, the Vikings figured Pierce would be nice and healthy this season to help the team get back to the playoffs. After he had seven tackles and two sacks in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals, it seemed like Minnesota had found their long-term replacement for Joseph.
But since then, Pierce has only appeared in three more games for the Vikings and he’s accumulated a grand total of two tackles and no sacks.
The Minnesota defensive tackle has been dealing with an elbow injury that he sustained in practice a few weeks ago. The injury has kept him out of action since the Vikings took on the Cleveland Browns in Week 4.
Minnesota gave Pierce a three-year, $27 million contract with $9 million fully guaranteed back in 2020, and in his first season of action, the team is getting much bang for their buck.