Vikings Add More Help to Their Secondary
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings saw some major improvements to their defense in 2023 under Brian Flores.
However, particularly down the stretch of the season, their pass defense struggled to keep opposing offenses in check. The Vikings allowed 250+ passing yards in three of their final four games as Byron Murphy and rookie Mekhi Blackmon dealt with injuries.
As a result, Minnesota went into the offseason potentially needing to add more help to their secondary. On Tuesday afternoon, the Vikings did exactly that by signing CB Shaquill Griffin to a one-year deal.
Vikings Sign CB Shaquill Griffin
The news was reported by Jordan Schultz of Bleacher Report, who tweeted, “Breaking: Free agent CB Shaq Griffin is signing with the #Vikings on a 1-year deal, up to $6M, sources tell @BleacherReport.”
Griffin was selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Seattle Seahawks out of UCF. The cornerback spent each of his first four NFL seasons with Seattle, recording 249 tackles, nine tackles for loss, a sack, 48 passes defended, and seven interceptions.
During the 2019 season, Griffin was named to the Pro Bowl after helping Seattle to an 11-5 record and a Wild Card berth in the playoffs. Ironically, this was his only season with the Seahawks during which he didn’t record an interception.
Following the conclusion of his rookie contract with Seattle, Griffin signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. The cornerback started 14 games for Jacksonville during that season, but injuries got the better of him in 2022. After starting the first five games, he went on IR with a back injury.
Griffin spent the remainder of the season healing up and was released by Jacksonville in March 2023. He would eventually sign with one of Jacksonville’s division rivals, the Houston Texans, for the season. However, after playing 10 games and making six starts in Houston, he was waived.
The veteran would then finish the 2023 season with the Carolina Panthers after being claimed off waivers, and he appeared in three games, making one start. In total, Griffin has appeared in 89 games with 79 starts, and he has totaled 366 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, one sack, 64 passes defended, seven interceptions, and a forced fumble.
Now, the soon-to-be 29-year-old cornerback heads to Minnesota where he actually gets to join a number of former teammates. During his 2023 season in Houston, he played alongside both Jonathan Greenard and Blake Cashman, who signed with the Vikings last week during the early stages of free agency.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. 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.