Vikings' 'old' guy Sheldon Day isn't ready to call it a night on NFL career

At 56 days past his 29th birthday, Sheldon Day was the fifth oldest of 96 nonspecialists inside U.S. Bank Stadium still fighting, scratching and hoping for NFL employment beyond Tuesday, when all active rosters must be trimmed from 90 to 53.

"Keeps me young," the affable Vikings defensive lineman said after Saturday's 18-17 loss to the Cardinals.

Day was the third-oldest player to start the game behind Arizona's Kelvin Beachum (34) and Carlos Watkins, another 29-year-old who's got Day by about half a year. Day did, however, log the most snaps (39) of any graybeard older than 28 as he appeared to continue a roster-bubble tussle with 25-year-old Ross Blacklock, who played 30 snaps.

"We're now going to let the cards fall where they may," Day said. "If I'm still here Tuesday, it's a blessing. If I'm not, there's another blessing. Stay prayed up, keep faith in God, don't complain and something always works out for me."

Then a sportswriter exactly twice Day's age asked him if it felt odd being this old and still being required to play 51% of the snaps in a preseason finale.

"I think it's fun because every day, you got to find your 'why,' " Day said. "Every. Single. Day. Find your 'why.' "

What's your "why," Mr. Day?

"Seeing my mom smile," he said. "Every time I make a play, she's, 'Oh, my gosh! Baby, good job! That's my baby!' "

Carol Boyd is Day's mom and lifelong No. 1 sports fan. Her vocal strength had become famously loud and impeccably timed inside Notre Dame Stadium by the time Day reached his senior year in South Bend. Each pregame, Boyd would eyeball the band conductor, knowing that as soon as he lowered his arms, the music would stop, the crowd noise would pause and everybody in the building — including Day's coaches and teammates — could then hear Boyd screaming, "That's my BA-BY!"

Day was a fourth-round pick of the Jaguars in 2016. He wasn't a linebacker, but he quickly befriended the linebackers coach, Robert Saleh, who is now the head coach of the Jets.

"Saleh is my guy. He believed in me from Day One. He breathed life into me," Day said. "The day he got fired after the 2016 season, I was in the building. He told me I was going to have a wonderful career."

With a new coaching staff in Jacksonville, Day lasted only six games in 2017 before being cut. Two days later, he was claimed by the 49ers, whose first-year defensive coordinator was Saleh.

Day played right away. He lasted through the 2019 season, playing 34 games. In 2019, he started all three postseason games, including Super Bowl LIV, a loss to the Chiefs.

He moved on to his hometown Colts in 2020, playing four games. He played seven games in Cleveland in 2021 and spent most of last fall out of football while rehabbing an injury. The Vikings signed him to their practice squad in December 2022, released him in early January and then re-signed him to a futures contract in late January.

Day went into Saturday's game with one of the Vikings' two preseason sacks — a quick-as-a-hiccup strip sack against Tennessee. His presence was felt on a few third-and-longs on Saturday as well.

He was rushing the passer and really pushing the pocket on third-and-7 late in the first quarter. Cardinals rookie quarterback Clayton Tune got happy feet, threw early and settled for a field goal when the ball was batted down by the 6-1, 294-pound Day.

"My vertical at the combine was 30 inches," joked Day, who jumped about 27 fewer inches for Saturday's pass deflection. "But the key was getting my hands up. Like B-Flo [defensive coordinator Brian Flores] says, 'Every meal's not a banquet.' Every good play's not a sack."

Blacklock had a sack on third-and-10 in the second quarter. Later, he credited Day for breaking down the pocket on the other side.

"The quarterback was trying to get away from Sheldon," Blacklock said, "and ran right to me."

It wasn't all good for Day. The longest run of the game — a 29-yarder off right tackle — came in part because Day got moved out of his gap.

Day knows his final NFL snap is getting closer. When the end does arrive, he said he will probably run his own venture capital business.

"Not playing last fall, it's, 'Man, you're getting close to 30,' so there's reflection on who you are outside of football," Day said. "That clock starts to tick. But playing this preseason, being around all the young guys flying around, I'm not ready to give it up. If not here, somewhere. I know I still got a lot left in the tank."