Getty CB Duke Shelley of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates after knocking a pass away in the end zone during overtime of a game against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on November 13, 2022 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Isaiah Vazquez/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings are looking to get back on track against the Chicago Bears in Week 18, but one defensive starter is looking for a little more.
It was on August 31, 2022, the final day of preseason cuts, that cornerback Duke Shelley’s time in Chicago ended. A member of the team for three seasons, Shelley had appeared in 30 career games for the Bears and garnered six starts.
He now returns to Soldier Field for the first time just over four months later as a starting cornerback in a banged up Vikings secondary with a chance for revenge. The four-year NFL veteran admitted the opportunity has been on his mind ever since Minnesota added him to its active roster in mid-November.
#Vikings CB Duke Shelley on facing Bears after being released by them: “I’ve been thinking about (this game) since I got here. I’m sure it’ll be a little emotional. I take it kind of personal (being released).”
“I’ve been thinking about (this game) since I got here,” Shelley said on Friday, per Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I’m sure it’ll be a little emotional. I take it kind of personal (being released).”
Shelley Has Proven Top-15 Cornerback in NFL Since Joining Vikings
GettyCornerback Duke Shelley (right) of the Minnesota Vikings tackles wide receiver Christian Watson (left) of the Green Bay Packers during a game at Lambeau Field on January 1, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Shelley added that he believes his former team made a mistake by waiving ahead of the 2022 campaign.
“I think so, for sure,” Shelley told Tomasson. “When I was there, I felt like I was one of their top corners. It caught me by surprise (being waived).”
It is hard to argue with Shelley’s assessment considering what he has accomplished since joining the Vikings. The cornerback has appeared in 10 games for Minnesota this year, earning four starts and amassing 28 tackles and seven passes defensed during that time.
Shelley has played either 100%, or near 100%, of the defensive snaps in each of the Vikings’ last three games, per Pro Football Reference, and has seen significant playing time ever since starting cornerback Cameron Dantzler went down with an ankle injury in November.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Shelley is the 14th-best cornerback in the NFL out of 123 players who qualify at the position, with an overall defensive grade of 76.8 and a pass coverage grade of 78.4.
Shelley Accuses Bears of Misusing Him, Vikings Sorting Position Out
GettyCornerback Duke Shelley (left), formerly of the Chicago Bears, pursues wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk (right) of the San Francisco 49ers during a game at Soldier Field on October 31, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Finally, Shelley told Tomasson that he felt the Bears misused him during his three-year tenure in Chicago, holding him back and making him a less successful fit in their defensive scheme.
“My whole career I’d been playing outside corner,” Shelley explained. “When I got drafted, I thought I’d get a chance to play outside, but they slotted me in as a nickel. But I’m more comfortable on the outside. I’m just glad it’s ended up working out.”
The Bears also waived defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga during the last round of preseason cuts in August. While he has started just one game for the Vikings, Tonga has appeared in 10 contests and been a solid pickup in Minnesota. He has posted an overall defensive grade of 76.8 and slots in as the 16th-best interior defensive lineman out of 128 qualifying players at the position, per PFF.