Vikings linebacker Anthony Barr was looking for a new contract when the offseason got underway and nothing has changed as June comes to an end.
Barr is set to make $12.3 million in the fifth and final year of the deal he signed after the Vikings made him the ninth pick in the 2014 draft, but there haven’t been any signs that an extension is imminent. Barr told Nick Shook of NFL Media that he doesn’t feel there’s much more he can do to make his case for a new deal and that the next move belongs to the Vikings.
“I don’t really get into the numbers,” Barr said. “It’s more about feeling valued and respected than the actual dollar amount. They kind of go hand in hand, I suppose, but I love being in Minnesota and I love my teammates. I want to be there long term. I’ve felt I’ve worked really hard, improved from my first day there to where I am now. I think I’m a totally different football player. It’s not really up to me. I feel like all the work I’ve done so far, you’ve got to go off that. You can’t really go off what-ifs or this or that. Let the chips fall where they may. It’s not my decision; it’s on them, and I would like to get it.”
Barr has started all 58 games he’s played and has 283 tackles, 10.5 sacks and an interception over the course of his time with the Vikings. He’s played nearly every snap over the last two seasons, but the Vikings could ultimately opt to let Barr play out his deal with wide receiver Stefon Diggs, defensive end Danielle Hunter and others also looking for new deals in the near future.