It looks like players might care about those NFLPA grades after all

As fans of the Minnesota Vikings, we’re pretty used to fans of the Green Bay Packers saying dumb things about our favorite team. After all, these are the people that proclaimed that the Vikings “won their Super Bowl” in Week 1 and flapped their gums all season about a team that they watched their team, ultimately, finish five games in back of in the NFC North standings.

What we generally don’t expect is for one of Green Bay’s players to take one of those fans and stuff them in a metaphorical locker for being a dope.

We recently highlighted the grades released on each NFL franchise by the NFLPA, and with good reason. . .the Vikings were at the very top of those ratings and were the only team to receive at least an A- in all eight of the rated categories. Then a Packer fan brilliantly proclaimed that the Vikings were going to “hang a banner” for it.

(Because, hey, when you’ve only got one real joke you could just as well run that thing into the ground, am I right?)

Enter Packers’ offensive tackle David Bakhtiari.

Yes, the guy that’s been responsible for protecting Aaron Rodgers’ blind side for most of the last decade gave credit to the Vikings’ organization for the culture they’ve created.

I’m guessing that Bakhtiari talks to some of the guys that play for the Vikings and has likely heard the positives about the organization coming directly from them. But even if he doesn’t, it’s pleasantly surprising to see a member of a division rival putting praise on the Vikings for anything. It’s not something that I’d expect to continue, so we can just enjoy it for the moment we’ve got it for.