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The Minnesota Vikings on Monday made the decision to secure veteran cornerback Terence Newman on a one-year deal for the 2018 season that will mark his 16th year in the league. It has also placed some question in terms of how much longer he is playing to continue his NFL career.
According to Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the 39-year-old has stated that he is leaning toward next season being his last in the league.
Terence Newman: "I think this is probably going to be my last (season).''
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) May 1, 2018
Newman has put together an impressive career that has seen him remain one of the more effective players at his position. His career has caught a second wind during his time with the Vikings as he has been a reliable option in the secondary despite being in his late 30s. It speaks tremendously well to his commitment to the game and his ability to stay healthy at his age missing just one game over the last three seasons in Minnesota.
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He is set to become the oldest active defensive player in the league this upcoming season as his 40th birthday will be in September near the start of the 2018 season. It is a rare quality to see defensive backs play that long into their careers as their bodies typically wear down much sooner than that.
What has also been impressive is that he has been able to stay an effective player at the cornerback position and not have to adjust to another role in the secondary. This signals that he has been able to still move well physically to cover wide receivers who are most often at least a decade younger than he is.
With this being the last season that Newman will probably play, it will be his last chance to earn his first Super Bowl win of his career that could provide extra motivation to help push his team to that ultimate goal.
