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The Minnesota Vikings will be coming into their divisional game against the San Fransisco 49ers with a glaring hole in their defensive backfield. While they can look at their practice squad for a possible replacement, they decided to work out Vikings cornerbacks coach Terence Newman to act as a substitute for the remainder of the playoffs.
ESPN's Adam Schefter was one of the first to break the news that Newman might make a return to the team sooner rather than later.
With CBs Mackensie Alexander and Mike Hughes on IR, the Vikings worked out their former nickel/CB coach and player, Terence Newman, league sources tell @FieldYates and me. Newman is 41, but the team considered signing him before promoting a cornerback from its practice squad.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 11, 2020
This announcement probably got Kyle Shanahan and the rest of the Niners thinking as to whether Newman can still put play solid defense when it matters. If his numbers during his final season with the team are to be considered, his acquisition will be a good pickup during such a time of duress.
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Newman finished his career in 2017, the year the Vikings made it all the way from the Wild Cards to the Conference Championship. During the 2017 regular season, he finished with 35 tackles, five pass deflections, and an interception that ran for three yards. After that season, the former Dallas Cowboy and Cincinnati Bengal decided to hang up his cleats.
The man needing replacing, Mackensie Alexander, is down due to a lateral meniscus tear in his knee. With this injury, the team had to look for a capable replacement for him. The fact that a 41-year-old Newman was even considered is a testament to what he once was.
It will be a tough uphill struggle for the Vikings as they try to pull off another upset in the divisional games. Whether the team advances to the championship is something only time will tell us.
