Vikings defensive end Jared Allen had a pair of surgeries on the same day earlier this offseason, but he’s feeling almost all of the way back to full strength.
Allen spoke to Alex Marvez and Solomon Wilcots on Sirius XM NFL Radio Wednesday night and said that he was excited about being able to train the way that he wants to train after being limited by a shoulder injury last offseason. One of the surgeries he had was to repair a torn labrum in that shoulder and Allen, who also had a knee cleaned out, says he’s got about 95 percent of the motion back already.
Allen had less to say about the possibility that he’ll become a free agent after this season, sticking with the well-worn approach of only worrying about football when asked about 2013 being the final year of his contract.
“I’m a Viking this year, I’m gonna go out play my heart out and try to win a Super Bowl,” Allen said. “I always look at chips fall where they may. My motto is if I take care of my job on the field the rest will take care of itself.”
Allen just turned 31, but he didn’t show too many signs of slowing down in 2012 as he posted double-digit sacks for the seventh time in the last eight years while playing in every Vikings game for the fifth straight year. Assuming there’s no sudden drop in production or serious injury, it’s hard to imagine that the Vikings won’t want to stay in the Allen business a little bit longer.