The stunned frustration of the Vikings’ locker cleanout

EAGAN — The Minnesota Vikings anticipated to spend the Monday after Wild Card weekend getting ready their gameplan for the San Francisco 49ers. As a substitute, they cleaned out lockers.

Lower than 24 hours since shedding 31-24 to the New York Giants at US Financial institution Stadium, it was onerous for gamers to speak about, nicely, absolutely anything.

“I wasn’t anticipating us to be on this scenario, I’m simply coping with it proper now,” linebacker Eric Kendricks mentioned.

It didn’t appear proper to replicate on the nice occasions. It felt incorrect to speak concerning the season as a failure after successful 13 video games, a lot of which got here in dramatic style. And the way may anybody talk about the intense future forward when no one actually is aware of what’s subsequent contemplating the age and contract standing of so many gamers?

Vikings’ gamers had not appeared to have come to phrases but with the shock of the season coming to an finish towards a 9-7-1 Giants workforce that they defeated just a few weeks in the past. Week after week they watched somebody step up within the largest moments however that by no means got here versus New York. Even when reporters prodded gamers to present themselves slightly pat on the again, they couldn’t get previous the paradox of successful a division title within the common season after which shedding within the first spherical.

“We had an excellent season, you’ll be able to name it an excellent season however I wouldn’t name it successful,” receiver Justin Jefferson mentioned.

Each Kendricks and Jefferson had been scuffling with the truth that they wouldn’t be going by way of any extra battles with their teammates for a very long time.

“This workforce was positively shut,” Jefferson mentioned. “Our workforce chemistry is one thing that we emphasised on as quickly as [Kevin O’Connell] got here into the constructing. It’s positively one of many closest groups that I’ve been round. It’s powerful to have such a loss understanding that we’re so shut as a workforce.”

“The blokes, it’s all the time concerning the guys within the locker room,” Kendricks mentioned. “We had a lot enjoyable this yr. It sucks that it’s over…I’m simply completely happy that I received to expertise it with these guys within the locker room.”

No one wished to speak about their futures on Monday, not even Jefferson, who’s eligible for a contract extension that will probably make him the best paid receiver in NFL historical past.

“It’s probably not one thing I’m actually worrying about or that I’ve my mindset on,” Jefferson mentioned. “The cash stuff, that comes with the job. I’ll be wherever I’m wished. If they need me right here, I’m right here. That’s not one thing that I can actually management.”

Some gamers’ 2023s are very a lot up within the air, together with Kendricks and Dalvin Cook dinner. Neither are free brokers however chopping Kendricks would create $9.5 million in cap area and Cook dinner round $8 million and each performed beneath their earlier requirements.

“That’s not my job to find out, I’m simply going to do what I do,” Kendricks mentioned.

“These are are questions that don’t have anything to do with me, it has to do with Kwesi, my agent and [O’Connell],” Cook dinner mentioned.

The uncertainty with the roster made it troublesome for anybody to argue on locker cleanout day that subsequent yr is their yr. The one constructive spin for the long run was relating to the working setting that O’Connell created.

“The most important distinction was teaching round right here,” Cook dinner mentioned. “Guys believed that we may win each recreation. When you might have that kind of teaching, you’ve got guys who’re keen to combat and work. Wanting to return into work and revel in it. It was a pleasure to have.”

In the long term, gamers will most likely look again at 2022 as a reasonably particular season. They went undefeated in one-score video games and walked off in unpredictable style again and again, from the loopy recreation in Buffalo to the most important comeback in historical past versus the Colts. However reminiscing concerning the good occasions received’t be occurring for some time for the gamers who thought they might be flying to San Francisco relatively than headed on trip.

“I’m not there but, truthfully, I’m right here to win so it’s nonetheless upsetting,” Kendricks mentioned.

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