After Everson Griffen's emergence meant Stephen Weatherly's playing time had dried up in Minnesota, the Vikings defensive end had been looking for a trade to end his second stint with the Vikings. He got a new home on Saturday.
Vikings trade defensive end Stephen Weatherly to Broncos
The 27-year-old played for Carolina last season, but was cut and returned to Minnesota, where he played the first four seasons of his NFL career.
October 24, 2021 at 4:12AM
The Vikings traded Weatherly to the Broncos, receiving a seventh-round pick in exchange for the defensive end and a 2023 seventh-rounder, according to a league source. The move gives Weatherly a new home with Broncos General Manager George Paton, who helped draft him in 2016 with the Vikings, and should help the Vikings recoup about $1 million of salary cap space, with roughly two-thirds of Weatherly's $1.5 million base salary transferring to the Broncos.
Weatherly had played just 36 snaps in the Vikings' past four games, and a league source said this week the defensive end was looking for a trade to a team that might have a larger role for him.
The Vikings brought Weatherly back on a one-year deal after the Panthers released him in February, but Griffen's emergence as a starter has meant fewer snaps at defensive end for Weatherly, as D.J. Wonnum has still maintained a part-time role behind Griffen and Danielle Hunter.
Griffen, who'd signed a one-year veteran minimum deal in training camp, has posted four sacks in the Vikings' past four games, starting the past two and playing 85% of their snaps in last week's overtime win over the Panthers. The Vikings had initially planned to use the 33-year-old in a rotational role, but as he'd played well enough to earn more playing time, Weatherly started to contemplate his second exit from Minnesota in 19 months.
Mike Conley was in Minneapolis, where he sounded the Gjallarhorn at the Vikings game, on Sunday during the robbery.
