The Vikings Bring Back DL Jonathan Bullard
Josh Frey
|
On Tuesday morning, the Minnesota Vikings announced that they would be bringing back another veteran piece of their defense by agreeing to a deal with DL Jonathan Bullard. He re-joins the Vikings defensive line after Minnesota recently snagged another veteran piece in free agency by signing former Green Bay Packer Dean Lowry.
Bullard joined the Vikings in 2022 on a one-year contract after being a journeyman throughout his early NFL career. The defensive lineman was selected out of Florida by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He spent his first three NFL seasons with the Bears where he appeared in 46 games and made 5 starts. During this time, he recorded 62 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 4 passes defended, and a forced fumble.
Prior to the 2019 season, Bullard was waived by the Bears and picked up by the Arizona Cardinals, thus beginning his path as a journeyman. He played in 9 games for the Cardinals before being placed on IR in December. In all, he recorded 22 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and a career-high 1.5 sacks for Arizona during the season.
Bullard remained with the Cardinals early on in the 2020 season by being a member of the practice squad, but he was released in October and signed by the Seattle Seahawks. He played a very small role with the Seahawks, appearing in 6 games and recording 8 tackles.
In 2021, Bullard continued the bird-theme by signing with the Atlanta Falcons and played 9 games. He recorded 21 tackles in Atlanta and once again hit free agency following the season.
That’s how he landed in Minnesota for the 2022 season where he jumped into a starting role. However, a bicep injury landed him on IR in December, and he played 12 regular season games for the Vikings. In the regular season, he put together 23 tackles and 5 tackles for loss. He also played in Minnesota’s playoff game against the New York Giants, recording a sack.
Now, heading into 2023, Bullard is one of the few pieces of continuity on Minnesota’s defensive front. The Vikings lost Dalvin Tomlinson to the Cleveland Browns earlier in free agency, and their only other move to bring back other players from the 2022 roster was re-signing Khyiris Tonga.
Bullard’s full contract details have not been released yet.
2 Other Teams Wanted Adam Thielen
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.