Jared Allen: Wherever I go, I want to retire as a Viking
By Mike Dyce
The Minnesota Vikings and defensive end Jared Allen seem headed for a split. Allen wants to pursue a championship and it seems like the Vikings are still trying to figure out who they are going forward.
“To be real honest, I’m going to have to look at the situation of the team,” Allen told USA TODAY Sports. “If I continue to play, you want to try to win a championship at some point. Personal accolades can only go so far.”
Allen wants to earn the ring, he doesn’t want to be a role player getting a ring on a team. He wants to be an integral part of a championship team.
“I don’t want to be chasing the ring. I want to earn the ring,” Allen said. “I want to be somewhere, and obviously, you’ve got to have parts in place and you’ve got to be contenders.”
He still feels a strong attachment to the club and when he retires, he wants to do so as a Vikings.
“Wherever I go, when I retire, I’m going to call them and say, ‘Hey, let me sign a one-day contract,’” Allen said. “Minnesota will always be in my heart. But I don’t know what the future holds. We haven’t talked about it. I’m trying not to think about it.”