Sheldon Richardson reportedly took less money to return to Minnesota

Last week, the Minnesota Vikings bringing back defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson was a pretty significant story, coming on the heels of the team agreeing to a new deal with defensive end Danielle Hunter. Now, word is coming out that the Vikings getting Richardson might be even more of a bargain than originally thought.

According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com (via Pro Football Talk), Richardson decided to sign with Minnesota despite having a larger offer on the table from the Cleveland Browns, where he had spent the last two seasons.

After his year with the Vikings, Richardson signed a three-year, $37 million contract with Cleveland. The Browns released Richardson earlier this offseason, a move that saved them around $12 million in cap space. Cabot states that had the Browns been willing to raise their price, Richardson likely would have returned to the shores of Lake Erie. But, they decided not to, and Richardson opted for a return to Minnesota on a one-year, $3.6 million deal that could reach $4.35 million if incentives are met.

As it turns out, it wasn’t the money that ultimately brought Richardson back to the Vikings. Perhaps it was the relationship he forged with Mike Zimmer in 2018 or the fact that while he might not be slated to start at this point (in his own words), he still has the opportunity to make an impact and perhaps parlay that into another big contract. After all, Richardson has already turned 30 and is probably on the downhill side of his career.

What do you make of Sheldon Richardson (reportedly) taking less money to make a return to Minnesota, folks?