Minnesota lost veteran defensive tackle Linval Joseph this offseason.
But the Vikings signed a potential replacement in free agency: defensive tackle Michael Pierce, who came over after a successful stint with the Ravens.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and Mike Garafolo, Pierce won’t be replacing Joseph in 2020.
Pierce has opted out of the 2020 NFL season, per Pelissero and Garafolo.
Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press reported that Pierce will earn $350,000 for not playing while in the high-risk category.
“I have really bad asthma among other respiratory issues, so it’s not one of those voluntary opt outs. It’s a high-risk opt out,” Pierce told Tomasson.
Assuming the NFL season will still take place, the Vikings will have to move on to using a defensive tackle such as Jaleel Johnson or Armon Watts. There are also some more options beyond those two if Minnesota wants to play a smaller defensive tackle pairing than the team has in the past.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that players will have seven days from the time the agreement between the NFL and NFL Players Association is officially signed to decide whether to opt out for the season.
Pierce started 14 games for Baltimore in 2019, tallying 35 total tackles.
