4 players that have had multiple stints with the Vikings

Mackensie Alexander – CB

Mackensie Alexander was a second-round pick by the Vikings in the 2016 draft and initially joined a crowded cornerback room at the time. Xavier Rhodes, Trae Waynes, Captain Munnerlyn, and Terence Newman were all established corners in Minnesota before Alexander arrived.

But after Munnerlyn left to return to the Carolina Panthers, the team he spent his first five years in the league with, Alexander was named the starting nickel cornerback heading into 2017. After his rookie contract expired, Minnesota elected not to re-sign him and Alexander left for a one-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals.

After his year with the Bengals passed, Alexander found himself back in purple, having signed a one-year contract with the Vikings. He completed his second campaign with five games started and five pass deflections.

Alexander was clearly a fit for former head coach Mike Zimmer, and when Zimmer was fired, the defense was changed from a 4-3 to a 3-4, leaving little room for Alexander to find himself in the newly revamped team. Additionally, injuries were a common theme throughout Alexander’s first stint with Minnesota, resulting in a combination that left little room to bring him back into the fold for 2022.

Currently, Alexander is a free agent again and may have to wait until the inevitable training camp or preseason injury occurs to find another chance in the NFL. If last season was the end of the road for Alexander, he’ll join Waynes as a player whose better days were in purple, but also spent some time with the Bengals. The difference between Waynes and Alexander is the latter got to return to the team that drafted him.