The Minnesota Vikings have bid goodbye to some of their greatest players this offseason, and their absences will be felt in a variety of ways.
Kirk Cousins was undoubtedly the most notable player to leave Minneapolis in free agency, but fellow team leaders Danielle Hunter and Jordan Hicks were not far behind.
Defensive tackle Harrison Phillips appeared on “NFL Total Access” via the NFL Network on Wednesday, May 8, and explained what Cousins’ departure will entail for the locker room in terms of leadership.
“There will be a significant loss. “Kirk Cousins as a person, a leader, and a teammate — that’s a big hole in your locker room,” Phillips said. “One of the most humble individuals I’ve ever met. A servant leader is just an excellent motivator. He’s great. It is unlikely that a single person can fill that hole.
In 2024, the Vikings defence will look different with Harrison Phillips, who had a career-best season in his second year with the team in 2023. The 28-year-old recorded a career-high 92 total tackles, 6 quarterback hits, 3.0 sacks, and two pass deflections.
In 2024, however, Phillips will no longer be joined by Hunter, Hicks, D.J. Wonnum, and Dean Lowry, among others. Most notably, Hunter left for the Houston Texans on an almost completely guaranteed two-year contract worth $49 million.
Minnesota stayed active in reshuffling the defensive depth chart, acquiring a few of big names as they try to keep up with Detroit, Green Bay, and Chicago.
OLB Jonathan Greenard of the Houston Texans
OLB Andrew Van Ginkel, LB for the Miami Dolphins. Blake Cashman joined the Houston Texans, while Jerry Tillery joined the Las Vegas Raiders as a defensive lineman. Kamu Grugier-Hill, DL (Carolina Panthers) Jonah Williams, from the Los Angeles Rams (DL). Jihad Ward, via the New York Giants. Phillips, the Vikings’ 2023 Walter Payton Man of the Year Award nominee, is entering a contract season in 2024, playing out the final year of his three-year, $19.5 million deal inked in March 2022.
The seventh-year veteran is one of many key players whose contracts expire after 2024, including top wide receiver Justin Jefferson, quarterback Sam Darnold, cornerback Byron Murphy, and safety Camryn Bynum.
Phillips Speaks Out After ‘Massive’ Tornado Ravages Hometown Near Omaha, Nebraska.
During the 2024 NFL offseason, Phillips’ hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, was hit by a series of tornadoes that swept through the Midwest in late April.
On April 26, WINK News chief meteorologist Matt Devitt released a video on Facebook of the “massive, mile-wide destructive tornado” that was “rated a preliminary EF-3.”
Phillips resorted to social media after the natural tragedy.
“My thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by the horrible tornadoes and storms in Nebraska today. We need support and prayers. “I know this community will rise up, but please help if you can,” Phillips wrote on X on April 26.
According to the Associated Press, “hundreds of homes and other structures” were damaged as the tornado tore across countryside and communities for kilometres. Some injuries were recorded, but there were no early reports of fatalities.”
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