Riley Reiff’s time with the Vikings appears to be nearing an end.
The left tackle has told teammates he expects to be cut, according to Pro Football Talk. This comes after the Vikings reportedly approached Reiff about restructuring his contract to create salary-cap space after Minnesota acquired defensive end Yannick Ngakoue on Sunday in a trade with Jacksonville.
The Vikings were $12.5 million under the cap, according to Over The Cap, before the trade. Ngakoue reportedly agreed to a one-year, $12 million contract but the Vikings want to have more space under the cap.
Afternoon Judd: Are the Vikings really going to cut their left tackle? pic.twitter.com/6TMQGkEOhX
— SKOR North (@SKORNorth) August 31, 2020
Reiff’s salary for 2020 is scheduled to be $10.9 million and cutting him would open up $8.7 million in cap space. It also would leave $2.2 million in dead money both this year and next.
Reiff, 31, signed a five-year, $58.75 million deal with the Vikings in 2017 and was under contract through 2021. With the Vikings’ regular-season opener against Green Bay only two weeks away, Minnesota would have to turn to a new left tackle. As you can see, the move could be to switch Brian O’Neill to left tackle as second-round pick Ezra Cleveland develops behind him.
Hearing the Vikings have gone to LT Riley Reiff about re-structuring his contract. If he’s not willing, they may cut him to save more than $8M in cap space.
Sounds like it may not have been a fluke that Brian O’Neill was at LT at practice yesterday.
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) August 31, 2020
Told Reiff is not at the facility right now, as he thinks over what Chad has indicated, which would be a pay cut. #Vikings https://t.co/YCHvJPRz4k
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) August 31, 2020
FWIW, Ezra Cleveland has not taken a single LT rep in camp. Has been at LG the whole time. O’Neill was at LT yesterday when Reiff was out (present but not practicing) and Udoh was at RT.
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) August 31, 2020