Former Vikings Safety Joins the Eagles…Again
Josh Frey
|
About a week ago, the Denver Broncos released former Vikings safety Anthony Harris, making him hit the free agency market for the third time in the last two years. Well, Harris appears set to return to his old stomping grounds, and no, I don’t mean Minnesota. Instead, the former Vikings safety joins the Eagles for the second time.
Following the 2020 season, the Minnesota Vikings did not come to an agreement with Harris to keep him in purple, so he signed with Philadelphia for the 2021 season. During that year with the Eagles, Harris played 14 games and recorded 72 tackles, 2 TFLs, 3 pass defenses, and an interception. The veteran safety remained in Philadelphia for the 2022 preseason, but he was released prior to the start of the season. Now, Harris rejoins his old team to help them make a deep playoff run.
Prior to that season, though, Harris was a stalwart with the Vikings. After going undrafted in the 2015 NFL Draft, he signed with Minnesota and played largely as a reserve during the rookie season.
From 2016-2018, Harris gradually saw his role grow in the Vikings defense, and he started a career-high nine games during the 2018 season. He proved to be a playmaker at free safety alongside Harrison Smith, intercepting three passes and recording six pass defenses.
2019 was a banner year for the defensive back, and Harris proved to be a big reason why the Vikings were able to make the playoffs that year. He started all 14 games that he played in and recorded a league-leading six interceptions, including a pick-six.
However, after this point was when Harris began seeing a drop to his play. During 2020, he didn’t intercept a single pass, and his defenses fell from 11 all the way to three. He also recorded 104 tackles, which is a huge number for a free safety, indicating that he was unable to make plays on the ball like he had earlier in his career.
The drop off in performance translated to a Vikings pass defense that ranked fourth worst in terms of points allowed. The Vikings went 7-9, and Harris left the team in free agency, signing a 1-year/$5 million contract with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021.
Vikings Sign Another Rookie CB
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.