Terence Newman is back for another season. The Vikings announced that the veteran cornerback has re-signed with the team.
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This year will mark Newman’s 16th season in the NFL. Even though he’ll turn 40 in September, the Vikings believe that he can provide valuable veteran leadership in the locker room and quality play in limited spurts on the field. He’ll mentor first-round cornerback Mike Hughes while he offers support in nickel packages behind starters Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes.
Last year, Newman appeared in all 16 of the Vikings’ regular season games as well as their two playoff contests. In the regular season, he tallied 35 tackles and five passes defensed as he played on 555 snaps, the third-highest total of any Vikings corner.
Pro Football Focus ranked Newman as 66th-best cornerback in the NFL, which indicates that he is still a quality contributor, even though he is no longer among the league’s best. Interestingly, the advanced metrics showed that Newman turned in one of his best seasons ever in 2016 – his age-38 season.
In the wake of James Harrison‘s retirement, Newman now stands as the oldest defensive player in the NFL. He also boasts the highest number of interceptions amongst all active players with 42.
YEAH!
He is sure missed back in Dallas