Linebacker Anthony Barr reworked his contract with the Vikings earlier this year and cut his salary for this season in exchange for becoming a free agent after the 2021 season.
If this is Barr’s final year in Minnesota, he thinks the team is positioned to send him out with a bang. Barr missed almost all of last season with a torn pectoral and the Vikings also have defensive back Danielle Hunter, linebacker Eric Kendricks and defensive tackle Michael Pierce back from missing all or much of last season.
They join veteran pickups Patrick Peterson, Dalvin Tomlinson, Sheldon Richardson, Bashaud Breeland, and Xavier Woods on a defense that also features five 2021 draft picks. All of that adds up to a group that could outperform last year’s defense by a wide margin and Barr thinks it can be part of a championship run.
“I really do believe that we have a Super Bowl-winning team this year,” Barr said on KMSP. “Obviously there’s a lot of steps to get to that point, and I’ve been through good seasons and bad seasons with this team. But every time we’ve had a tough year, we’ve always bounced back. I really feel like this year is going to be special.”
A defensive rebound doesn’t guarantee that they’ll make Barr’s grand prediction a reality, but the Vikings don’t stand much chance of reversing course if the unit isn’t dramatically better this time around.