After a tense 24 hours where it appeared the Vikings might be remaking their offensive line again, they will head into the season with their starting left tackle still on the roster.
Riley Reiff agreed to a restructured contract that will keep him in Minnesota, NFL sources confirmed on Tuesday afternoon, a day after Reiff took time away from the team to consider his options.
The Vikings, who had just over $200,000 in salary cap space after Sunday's trade for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, approached Reiff with a reworked deal that would help the team clear cap room. It's believed the new deal will have some guaranteed money for Reiff, who had none in 2020 while initially scheduled to count $13.2 million against the cap.
The 31-year-old tackle begins his fourth season in Minnesota, after signing a five-year, $58.5 million deal in 2017 to replace Matt Kalil at left tackle. He's been a team captain who, according to wide receiver Adam Thielen, has helped set a tone in the Vikings' locker room.
"A key part to this team, to this offense, to that offensive line room," Thielen said in a videoconference with reporters Tuesday. "Honestly, I was talking to some of the younger guys the other day about when he first came here, he kind of changed the culture of that offensive line room, and it kind of just trickled down from there. Those guys are so fun to be around. They're such great leaders and hard workers, and it really started with him when he first got here, so I've got so much respect for that guy."
Until the deal was finalized early Tuesday afternoon, the Vikings were preparing for the possibility they'd start the season without Reiff. He was one of several veterans to sit out practice on Sunday, as Brian O'Neill worked at left tackle. O'Neill practiced in Reiff's spot again on Monday, as Reiff reportedly told teammates he expected he would be released.
When asked Tuesday morning about Reiff possibly leaving, offensive line coach Rick Dennison said:
"It's a challenge I think we can meet. We have a lot of talented players. We'll just have to see what happens."
He added that he was sure head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman would "put us in the best possible situation we can."
In the end, continuity won out for Reiff, whose search for a new team less than a week before the season starts would have been complicated by the fact players have to pass a series of COVID-19 tests before entering a new team's practice facility.
Ngakoue, who was traded from Jacksonville to Minnesota on Sunday and agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal, won't practice with the team for the first time until Thursday.
Retaining Reiff means the Vikings will likely go into the season with him, Dakota Dozier, Garrett Bradbury, Pat Elflein and O'Neill, from left to right, with veteran swing tackle Rashod Hill sticking around.
Second-round pick Ezra Cleveland has worked for most of training camp at guard. Hill had traded first-team snaps at right tackle this week with second-year man Oli Udoh, as the Vikings worked through their options in the event Reiff decided not to accept a restructured deal.
