More than a year after he inked a three-year, $27 million deal with the Minnesota Vikings, Michael Pierce finally got a proper introduction to the media. Pierce opted out of last season because of respiratory issues he has dealt with since childhood. For a year he watched Vikings football the same way fans do.
Pierce’s Sunday routine started with a ride on the Peloton, followed by some time in the sauna, church, and a nice meal. Right before kickoff he had time to pour a glass of wine and set up his laptop and TV for a full day of football.
For most football fans, that sounds like a productive start to game day, but it just didn’t feel right for Pierce, who spoke to the press from the TCO Performance Center on Wednesday.
“It was different,” said Pierce. “Obviously, I pride myself with being one of the better defensive tackles in this league. I saw a lot of plays I could have made and helped [with], personally.”
He articulates it much more eloquently than a disgruntled Vikings fan would. But we all saw it: The defensive line was not great last season. It wasn’t easy for anybody to watch, especially someone who’s itching to make an impact.
“I do feel responsible for some of the stuff happened last year,” said Pierce.
But his decision to opt-out of the season shouldn’t have come as a surprise to those familiar with his health conditions. He carries an inhaler due to his severe asthma and has to use a nebulizer during the winter months.
This led to “an early snapshot at retirement,” as Pierce called it. Quarantine life was comprised of piano playing (Pierce’s favorite tune to play is “Mary Had a Little Lamb”), CrossFit training, and hanging with his new dog, Princeton.
It was a good mental refresher for the 29-year-old, but if it wasn’t clear enough after his half-hour-long press conference, Pierce is ready to get back to the grind.
“I felt that burning desire to be out there with those guys, even when camp started,” he said.
That hunger translated to an unrelenting desire to get better. Pierce showed up to the Vikings’ facility weighing in at 341 lbs, the leanest he’s been in years. He was a stalwart run-stopper in Baltimore, but he’ll be the first to admit he has some strides to make in pass rushing. Especially since he’s in the NFC North now.
“We got Aaron Rodgers in this division,” said Pierce. “We’ve got Jared Goff in this division, so it’s imperative you get to the quarterback.”
Some good news for Pierce: The Vikings brought in Dalvin Tomlinson this offseason. When asked about the signing, Pierce immediately dismissed any worries regarding his place in the starting lineup. Instead, he focused on what the two nose tackles can accomplish together.
“It’ll be a great time competing against him and actually learning from him,” said Pierce.
His commitment to learning from Tomlinson is encouraging because the pass-rushing concerns about Pierce are valid. In four seasons, he only has 3.5 career sacks. That’s how many sacks Tomlinson has had in both of the last two seasons.
“I’m going to learn from him and I’m sure he can take some things from me,” said Pierce. “Until you’re done and retired you can’t stop learning.”
His statements make it clear that Pierce won’t only make an impact on the field, but also in the locker room. It’s something Minnesota didn’t have as much of last season because they relied on so many young players to take on key roles, and it will surely be a welcome sight. Mike Zimmer’s defense has excelled when he has talented guys who are ready to learn. Pierce checks both of these boxes and should make Vikings fans a lot more confident that the defense is going places.
In fact, one of the most interesting tidbits from the presser was the fact that even before he had any interest in joining the Vikings, Pierce modeled his game after Linval Joseph. Funny enough, Joseph also came to Minnesota after four seasons in the league. Although he already had developed pass-rushing ability, it escalated once he was put into Zimmer’s defensive scheme.
This included his career year in 2016, where he registered 77 tackles, four sacks, and 17 QB hits, all good for career highs.
Between his year off, and other pieces put around him, everything points towards Pierce becoming a candidate for a Joseph-like leap this season. While we’re still a ways out from kickoff, it’s time for Vikings fans to get as excited about Pierce’s return as he is.
“I’ve never been without football this long,” he said. “I cannot wait…to get onto the field.”
