:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63217457/1045770666.jpg.0.jpg)
We reported to you earlier today that the Minnesota Vikings were going to release starting guard Mike Remmers, a move that had been widely anticipated (and is now official). However, it doesn’t appear as though that was the first course of action the Vikings wanted to take.
This was just tweeted out by Remmers’ agent, Brett Tessler:
The Minnesota Vikings just informed me they are releasing Mike Remmers who was moved last season from RT to RG... They approached us with the idea of restructuring, but this is the decision that was made and we look forward to our next opportunity.
— Brett Tessler (@TesslerSports) March 11, 2019
Remmers had three years left on the five-year deal that he signed prior to the 2017 season. In those three seasons, he was set to have cap figures of $6.35 million (2019), $6.7 million (2020), and $7.25 million (2021).
Perhaps Remmers and Tessler think that he can pick up significantly more money as a free agent in this year’s class than they could have made by restructuring Remmers’ deal in Minnesota. Obviously we’re not in the room while these negotiations are happening, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was part of the reasoning behind turning down a restructure.
It appears that the Vikings wanted to bring Mike Remmers back at a lower price tag, but Remmers and his agent decided against it. So it goes in the world of NFL free agency.