The Minnesota Vikings will pick up Anthony Barr’s fifth-year option, per multiple reports including Tom Pelissero at USA Today. Barr’s option will be worth $12.3 million in 2018, and there is the possibility that the Minnesota Vikings negotiate an extension before the third day of the 2018 league year, when that becomes guaranteed.
Barr presents a small risk for the Vikings as his 2014 and 2015 play was phenomenal, but it was followed by a mediocre 2016 campaign. If Barr becomes as good as he once was, franchise-tag money for him will be a steal. Otherwise, there’s reason to worry.
The Vikings have also decided not to pick up Teddy Bridgewater’s fifth-year option, not because they do not want him on the team in 2018 but because the money guaranteed for injury is too much for Minnesota.
Should Bridgewater be put on the Physically Unable to Perform list at the start of the season and remain on the PUP for six or more games, his contract will toll one year—essentially rolling 2017 into 2018—and they will have the fifth-year option available to them if they so choose.
There was an erroneous earlier report that Bridgewater suffered irreparable nerve damage, but that had no bearing on their decision (because, once again, it was incorrect).
They activated left tackle Matt Kalil’s fifth-year option a year prior and regretted it, as they had no leverage when it came to negotiating a lower-cost extension.
This doesn’t prevent the Vikings from offering an extension to Bridgewater if his recovery proceeds apace, and it provides them with another option if quarterback Sam Bradford regresses to his previous form or if his issues on third down become too much to bear.
