Jared Allen unsure if he will re-sign with Vikings
By Jeff Adcox
After the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Detroit Lions 14-13 on Sunday, the team’s attention moved to the offseason instead of the postseason. And just as reports circle that Leslie Frazier has coached his last game for the Vikings, star defensive end and free agent Jared Allen was pondering his future with the organization.
From the locker room after the game, Allen said it could go either way as far as him re-signing with the Vikings.
“I don’t know,” said Allen. “However it falls, I know that the last six years here have been amazing. I could not have asked for more from this organization and I could not have asked for more from this state. It has all just been a blessing for me, for my family, and more so just how much I’ve grown as a man. When I came here when I was 25 compared to how I am now has been life changing. Since then I’ve met my wife, I got married, and now I have a daughter. It has just been an absolute blessing. I’ll take some time to reflect. This isn’t just a one-sided decision so we will see. I will have this conversation with everybody and we’ll see where it goes. However it works out, it will work out the way it is supposed to.”
Allen said he hasn’t yet had any negotiations with the Vikings, but he doesn’t expect any drama whether he does or doesn’t re-sign with the team..
“There’s no rug that is going to be pulled out from underneath anybody,” he said. “I am not naïve to the business side and neither are they. The relationships here with the management and the coaches have been nothing but great. I’ve made some great friends so it will be a conversation about where they are going and where I see myself going. And if it is on the same path great, but if not we will part ways – but we will do it with the best intentions for everybody.”
Allen led the Vikings with 11.5 sacks on the season.