After twenty-four hours of speculation and wringing, it looks like Riley Reiff will be the left tackle for the Minnesota Vikings in 2020 after all.
The Vikings and starting LT Riley Reiff are closing in on a restructured contract to stay with the team, according to the league source.
Minnesota keep their strong attacking tackle.
– Yates field (@FieldYates) September 1, 2020
ESPN’s Field Yates (among others) reports that the Vikings and Reif are “getting closer” to a restructured deal for the left tackle that will keep him purple.
Reiff signed a five-year contract in March 2017, so he has two years left on his current contract. Releasing him would have freed up around $ 11 million in salary cap space for a team seeking a squeeze, but it also could have thrown the line into disarray a week and a half before the season opener against Green Bay.
Reiff, apparently, believed he ended up in Minnesota, as he reportedly told his teammates yesterday that he expected the team to release him. If that was the case, something had to change significantly in the last twenty-four hours or so to reverse course and keep it in Minnesota.
Once we have the terms of the restructuring, we will share them with everyone. For now, however, it looks like the Vikings will keep their starter on the left tackle rather than let him go.
