A Former Vikings Fan Favorite Has Completely Disappeared
Skol Nation just watched their team squander the opportunity to play in the divisional round by losing against a (on paper) beatable team. Most frustrating is the fact that it has happened for the second time under Kevin O’Connell’s watch, losing the first playoff matchup after a magical season.
A Former Vikings Fan Favorite Has Completely Disappeared
Nobody would deny, though, that the 2024 version of Vikings football was better than the one in 2022. Both the offense and the defense were more reliable. Unfortunately, neither showed up when it mattered most.
In both years, the Vikings employed (at least for some time) a cornerback named Duke Shelley. Two years ago, he was a big contributor in Ed Donatell’s defense, this time, he failed to make the 53-man roster and moved on.
Since his flash-in-a-pan campaign in 2022, in which he was quite fantastic, he hasn’t done much on the NFL field, playing a total of 90 defensive snaps while spending time with four different teams, including the Vikings.
The 2019 sixth-rounder was a member of the Chicago Bears in his first three years, but the NFC North rivals decided to cut him after the 2022 preseason. Chicago always used him in the slot, where he, despite his size limitations, never excelled.
His journey in Minnesota began on the practice squad. The Vikes needed someone to step up because injuries decimated the cornerback room. Cam Dantzler, Andrew Booth Jr., and Akayleb Evans all missed significant portions of the season, and Shelley became a starter, something nobody had expected.
He played 12 games for the Vikings and logged six starts, including one postseason matchup. In Week 18, he caught his first interception in the league. Shelley recorded 31 combined tackles and defended eight passes.
According to Pro Football Focus, Shelley was the fourth-best CB in the league that season, with a coverage grade of 86.4. Opposing passers were limited to a passer rating of 59.6 when throwing in his direction.
Regardless, he quickly became a fan favorite because of his play. The cornerback was outstanding at breaking up passes, especially those against much bigger receivers were impressive.
One of his first plays with the Vikings was against the Buffalo Bills when the 5-9 cornerback broke up a pass in overtime against Dawson Knox, a big tight end, with the game on the line. His overall feisty playing style was fun to watch.
His play surely notched him some interest in free agency, right? Wrong. The cornerback was let go by Minnesota’s decision-makers and ultimately joined the Raiders on a near-minimum deal. However, Las Vegas said goodbye ahead of the season, and he was hired by the Los Angeles Rams, where he played 76 defensive snaps all year.
In 2024, the desperate Vikings signed him at the beginning of training camp. He was cut a few weeks later, and he spent the first month of the season with the Giants, playing in one game and registering 16 defensive snaps.
Although he made some plays in the 2022 season, the purple team was right to let him go. Shelley turned 28 in October and hopes to find a new team for the upcoming season.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt