Riley Reiff Accepts Pay Cut and Will Stay in Minnesota
Josh Frey
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Big news came in today for the Vikings as left tackle Riley Reiff has reportedly accepted a pay cut as of Tuesday after restructuring his contract. The lineman was slated for a cap hit of $13.2 million in 2020, making his hit the seventh highest in the NFL at the left tackle position.
However, after trading for Pro Bowl defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and signing him to a one year, $12 million deal, Minnesota’s cap situation was not suited to pay Reiff. The team was left with less than $1 million in cap and by all accounts Minnesota was expected to release Reiff due to his play not living up to his level of pay.
Reiff’s acceptance of the pay cut may come as a surprise, but it is key to keeping the offensive line intact with a Week One matchup with the Packers just 10 days away. This move will give extra protection to star running back Dalvin Cook as Minnesota fans are far too familiar with seeing the back spend time hurt on the sideline. It also allows Ezra Cleveland, Minnesota’s second round pick in April’s draft, extra time to develop and learn from the veteran before being thrown into the fire of NFL football.