Pro Bowl cornerback Antoine Winfield is upset he doesn’t have a new deal with the Vikings and is starting to publicly say so. “I didn’t expect to be in July without a deal,” Winfield said. “Personally, I’m a little disappointed. They consider me a core player, but they’re not showing me that.” The Vikings are considered a darkhorse candidate in NFL odds at the sportsbook to win Super Bowl XLIV.
Winfield is definitely a key player to the Vikings defense and someone they can’t afford to be without. Minnesota player personnel vice president Rick Spielman said Winfield is “an important part of our defense” and that the Vikings were going to do “everything we can to keep” him. While Spielman may have stated the party line, Winfield has said that the Vikings haven’t done much to get a deal in place. “If they want me here, they should be able to get a deal done. There shouldn’t be a problem,” Winfield said “If they don’t, then they need to say that and let’s work toward a resolution that works out good for everyone.”
Everyone with the Vikings seems to be saying the right things, as NFL odds information shows yet nothing has happened. “They all said I was ‘their guy,’ and that we would try to get you done,” Winfield said. “That’s all I was hearing. My goal was to get something done so I could end my career as a Viking. But, for some reason, we can’t get the deal done.”
Winfield becomes an unrestricted free agent after this season as NFL betting information tells us and he is now looking at alternatives. “I know where I want to play,” Winfield said. “I want to be in Minnesota. I love the defense. I love my teammates. I love the city. My kids are comfortable there. But, I understand the business.” Minnesota let two veteran players, Matt Birk and Darren Sharper leave in free agency during the off-season so Winfield might be thinking the same thing could happen to him. He is entering the final year of a six-year, $34.8 million contract as NFL betting information at the sports book tells us. Winfield has been great with Minnesota, missing only eight games in five seasons with the Vikings as NFL betting statistics show.