Harrison Phillips, a defensive tackle for the Vikings, thought Monday night at the WhirlyBall in Bloomington would be similar to most of his off days. One of the most involved Vikings players in numerous communities is 27-year-old Phillips.
Harrison’s Playmakers, his foundation, is based in Omaha, Buffalo (where the Bills drafted him in 2018), and Minneapolis. It seeks to assist children who face social, physical, and financial difficulties.
Harrison Phillips of the Vikings is staying busy off the field by volunteering before the 2023 season
Defending tackle Harrison Phillips enjoys spending his free time helping people in the Twin Cities and through his foundation.
DT to sign with the Vikings Harrison Phillips because Michael Pierce will soon be free
The Vikings agreed to sign defensive tackle Harrison Phillips on Monday night, making their first significant move in free agency. Michael Pierce, the defensive tackle, will be released, and he will take his place.
According to a source, Phillips, who spent the previous four years playing for Buffalo, will sign a three-year, $19.5 million contract. Pierce informed the Pioneer Press earlier on Monday that he had made a decision regarding a request to restructure his contract. Later, a source claimed that Pierce’s release resulted from his refusal to accept a requested pay reduction.
When asked to rework his deal, Pierce replied via text, “Yes, that is correct and I’ve made (my) decision.” “The news should be reaching you soon.”
Pierce then declined to elaborate further. Due to salary cap concerns, the Vikings had been considering reworking a deal with Pierce that called for him to receive a base salary of $7.9 million in 2022 with a $10.235 million cap number. Pierce’s release frees up $6.235 million in cap space.
In 2018, the 6-foot-3, 307-pound Phillips was selected in the third round out of Stanford. Of his 45 games with the Bills, he started 11 of them; eight of those games were in 2021. Known for his ability to stop runs, he only recorded 1 1/2 sacks during his time with Buffalo.
The 26-year-old Omaha, Nebraska native Phillips goes by “Horrible Harry.” He double majored in science and technology and sociology when he graduated from Stanford.
In March 2020, Pierce inked a three-year, $27 million contract, but he only appeared in eight of the 33 games that could have been played in Minnesota. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, he chose not to play in 2020, and injuries kept him from playing in all but eight games in 2021.
The Vikings lost two starters on the first day of the legal tampering period of free agency: offensive lineman Mason Cole and safety Xavier Woods, according to sources. Woods signed a three-year contract worth $15.75 million with Carolina, while Cole signed a three-year deal with Pittsburgh. On Wednesday, the first day of the new league season, both may sign.
Kicker Greg Joseph is a restricted free agent that the Vikings want to keep. On Monday, they tendered him a $2.433 million one-year right of refusal, allowing them to match any offer.
After spending four years playing for Dallas, Woods signed a one-year, $1.75 million contract to start all 17 games last season. Despite their desire to keep Woods, the Vikings were unable to match the Panthers’ offer.
After being acquired from Arizona in the spring of last year, Cole is in his fifth season. In 2021, he started seven games. He spent the first half of the season playing only on special teams, but after Garrett Bradbury was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list for two games, he was able to start at center. When Bradbury came back, he started two more games at center. After that, he switched to right guard and started three games there before missing the final three because of an elbow injury.
Camryn Bynum, who impressed as a starter in the two games last season that Harrison Smith was on the COVID list, is a potential internal candidate for the Vikings’ starting job in place of Woods. Since Cole started in place of Oli Udoh, who had struggled, at right guard, he might be more difficult to replace.
With Joseph as their lone restricted free agent, the Vikings had 19 unrestricted free agents going into free agency. Joseph will receive a significant pay increase after earning $780,000 in 2021.
Additionally on Monday, Rashod Hill, a reserve tackle and unrestricted free agent who has been with the Vikings since 2016, was represented by Brett Tessler, who stated on Twitter that while Hill will test free agency, “a return to Minnesota is still possible.”
