Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil is about to enter the free agent market, and his dad says he’s jumping into that pool healthy.
The former first-rounder missed most of last season after hip surgery, and enters a deep market of players at his position.
“He’s 100 percent healthy now,’’ his father, Frank Kalil said, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “He’s really doing well. He looks great. He’s ready to rock and roll. He’s back up to his game weight. He’s lifting weights. He’s doing all the right things.’’
Of course, as medical diagnoses go, parents are probably right up there with agents in terms of being unbiased in the days before dollars begin to flow. But Kalil could certainly cash in if other people share his father’s belief. Kalil, the fourth overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, started 66 straight games prior to the hip problem last year.
The Vikings have said they want to retain him, but there could be plenty of other suitors. One notable one is Carolina, where Matt’s brother Ryan Kalil anchors a line that needs a left tackle considering the uncertainty surrounding Michael Oher, who still hasn’t cleared the concussion protocol after suffering a brain injury last September.