Kevin Williams rejected Minnesota Vikings contract offer
For the past 11 years defensive tackle Kevin Williams has donned the purple and gold of the Minnesota Vikings, but come the 2014 season he will be a part of something new. After the Vikings finally came in with a late offer to the veteran, he chose to sign with the reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks instead.
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According to the Chris Tomasson article in the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, Williams signed a one-year deal worth $2 million for the 2014 season. Last season Williams played in 15 games, tallying 29 tackles, 3.5 sacks, four passes defensed and one interception. He was also a six-time Pro Bowl selection, making five straight Pro Bowl’s between 2006 and 2010.
It appears that Williams’ ultimate motivation for signing with Seattle may have been Minnesota’s unwillingness to extend an offer early in the offseason.
“I played my contract up,” Williams said in a phone interview with the Pioneer Press. “They had a chance to sign me back at the beginning of the offseason, and they didn’t really want to.”
He also appears to be motivated by the chance to play with the reigning Super Bowl champions and his closing window for a ring of his own.
“Just the direction that the team has been going. They’ve got a quarterback (Russell Wilson), and they’re coming off a Super Bowl (win). They’ve got a great young team.”
He also told Tomasson that Minnesota’s lack of consistency in play over the last few seasons didn’t help.
“It’s so uncertain what’s going on in Minnesota,” Williams said. “Who knows? They might win 10 games this year or they could have another season like last year (5-10-1).”
Given Williams’ history, the Seahawks could be getting a bargain price for one of the NFL’s best players over the last decade. But it is up to Williams to show he isn’t on the downside of his career just yet, especially given Seattle’s stacked defense.