Last month, the Minnesota Vikings made the decision to bring back veteran corner Duke Shelley, who developed into a fan favorite during his previous tenure with the team in 2022.
Some of that old excitement about Shelley immediately reappeared after the Vikings signed him in July, but since then, the doubts about him making the team's final 2024 roster have only grown as each week passes by.
After Minnesota recently added All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore, the tiny space for the 5-foot-9 Shelley to fit on the team's roster became even smaller. With the Vikings having to trim their roster down to 53 players by next Tuesday, August 27th, there might no longer be enough room for Shelley.
Will the Minnesota Vikings keep CB Duke Shelley on the team's 53-man roster?
Back in 2022, Shelley landed on Minnesota's practice squad after he was cut by the Chicago Bears before the start of the regular season. Shortly after joining the Vikings, he was added to the team's active roster, and he ended up appearing in a total of 12 games (including six starts) for the purple and gold during the 2022 campaign.
Shelley's season with Minnesota in 2022 was easily the best of his NFL career, as he finished with 37 tackles, nine pass breakups, one interception, and the fourth-best defensive PFF grade in the league among qualifying cornerbacks.
Despite his success that season, the Vikings decided to let him explore free agency in 2023 and he wound up signing with the Las Vegas Raiders. Unfortunately, Shelley turned out not to be a good fit for the Raiders, and they didn't include him on their final 2023 roster.
Shortly after leaving Las Vegas, he signed with the Los Angeles Rams and remained there through the entire 2023 season, with most of his snaps coming on special teams during his 12 appearances (including the playoffs).
Since Shelley returned to Minnesota last month, the team has added veteran cornerbacks Gilmore, Fabian Moreau, and Nahshon Wright through free agency and trades. With each move, Shelley's chances of making the Vikings' final 2024 roster have decreased.
Gilmore is a lock to make Minnesota's regular-season roster, and so are corners Byron Murphy Jr. and Shaq Griffin. That leaves two or three more spots in the cornerback room for the Vikings to fill from a group that includes Shelley, Moreau, Wright, Akayleb Evans, Dwight McGlothern, Jaylin Williams, and A.J. Green III.
Will Minnesota decide to extend Shelley's second stint with the team into the regular season, or will all of the excitement from the fan base after his return last month prove to be short-lived?