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Ever since the end of the 2016 season, many fans of the Minnesota Vikings have been wondering when, exactly, the team would work out an extension with cornerback Xavier Rhodes. Rhodes, who is now in the fifth-year option season of his rookie contract, had a big-time breakout season in 2016 and is now firmly established among the best corners in the National Football League. So, it makes sense for the team to lock him up for the long-term.
It sounds like such an extension is going to be finished very soon.
In an article from Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, former NFL cornerback Terrell “He Can’t Throw It That Far” Buckley. . .you younger Vikings fans can ask some of the older ones about that reference. . .has said the he thinks Rhodes will be signing a lucrative contract extension as soon as this week. Buckley has been a mentor to Rhodes, and has a close relationship with the star Vikings’ cornerback.
“He is trying to get a couple of things squared away (with the contract),’’ said Buckley, who played in the NFL from 1992-2005 and is now defensive backs coach at Mississippi State. “He wants to be there. He loves the (Vikings) organization, but obviously it’s a business.
“He’s got to make sure it makes sense to him financially. But he’s excited about it. He loves Minnesota. He loves the head coach (Mike Zimmer). He loves (defensive backs coach Jerry Gray). He’s very adamant and excited that he wants to be a Viking. He wants to play his whole career in Minnesota.’’
Gotta love hearing that from a player of Rhodes’ caliber. (Or, in this case hearing Buckley say that he’s said it.) Here’s hoping that he can continue on his upward trajectory and continue locking down some of the NFL’s best wide receivers like we saw him do last season. Also, if Terence Newman wants to share some of whatever elixir he has to allow Rhodes to do that well into his 30s, that would be pretty swell, too.
Rhodes will be reporting to Mankato tomorrow with the rest of the Vikings’ veterans. It sounds like he might have somewhere to be after he gets his dorm room squared away.