Former Vikings draft pick released by the Cardinals
By Adam Patrick
On Monday, the Arizona Cardinals announced the departures of three players, one of which was former Minnesota Vikings cornerback Kris Boyd.
Boyd signed with the Cardinals earlier this year after spending the first four seasons of his NFL career as a member of the Vikings. He injured his hip during Arizona's loss to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, so it's possible that was a factor in his release on Monday.
Prior to the Cardinals deciding to move on from him, the former Minnesota corner had appeared in all four of Arizona's games this season. However, he was only given snaps on special teams. Now, he is in need of a new NFL home.
Boyd entered the league back in 2019 after the Vikings selected him in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft. During his career in Minnesota, he appeared in 58 games, including six in which he was given the opportunity to start.
Despite the chances he was given by the Vikings, Boyd was never able to make enough plays to convince Minnesota to keep him at the top of their cornerback depth chart.
In 2022, the Vikings utilized Boyd on special teams for the majority of the season, and to his credit, he made the most of his snaps out on the field. The veteran defensive back wound up leading all Minnesota special teamers in 2022 with eight tackles.
After the 2022 campaign, however, Boyd was among a group of players leftover from the previous regime who parted with the Vikings during the 2023 offseason.
Following the Cardinals' decision to release him on Monday, Boyd is now free to sign with any team in the NFL that offers him a roster spot.