Vikings’ Preseason Star Keeps Getting Opportunities with NFC Rival
K. Joudry
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When Minnesota’s final roster was announced, it was fairly surprising to see the team move on from T.Y. McGill. The veteran defensive tackle showed some really good things as a pass rusher. In the end, the Vikings’ preseason star didn’t snag one of the coveted final spots.
He ended up getting an opportunity in San Francisco. Last week, McGill was signed to the San Francisco roster, giving him another chance to play for the 49ers. He’s currently listed on the team’s active roster.
At 7-4, San Francisco is one of the NFC’s best teams. Their offense boasts George Kittle, Deebo Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk, and Christian McCaffrey (which is to say nothing of the OL talent), so they’d be a difficult team to matchup with during the postseason.
Defensively, SF also has a ton of talent. Nick Bosa is a phenomenal edge rusher, the kind of player that needs constant attention. Fred Warner, moreover, is an excellent linebacker. McGill is thus part a front 7 that has enough talent for him to thrive.
McGill has 55 snaps on the DL and then a pair of snaps on special teams. He has played in Week 8, 10, 11, and 12 for the 49ers. Over these past two games, McGill has picked up 3 tackles, 1 TFL, and 1 QB hit. Combined, he has played 40 snaps in the two games.
The Vikings’ preseason star had a decent chance of making Minnesota’s roster. He had 3.5 sacks during the preseason but the team moved on from him, releasing him from the IR: “The Vikings announced that they have released McGill off injured reserve with an injury settlement. That makes him a free agent available to any team looking for help on their defensive line.”
Currently, the team’s pass rush is struggling a fair bit. McGill is unlikely to have been the perfect cure, and yet it’s fair to wonder if some different players up front could have helped.
It’s very possible that Minnesota and San Francisco meet in the playoffs. The most recent playoff scenario’s piece from PurplePTSD‘s Josh Frey even highlights this possibility as one to monitor. If that occurs, there will be a fair bit of nervousness among Vikings fans. Many will remember the poor effort that led to the 27-10 loss following the 2019 season.
The playoffs are still a fair bit away, so perhaps we should keep the focus on the regular season games that are in front of us. In the meantime, keep an eye on T.Y. McGill. Maybe the former Viking can help Kyle Shanahan’s squad.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and PFF helped with this piece.
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