Getty Vikings cornerback Kris Boyd aired his grievances with his playing time on defense amid his Pro Bowl bid on special teams.
More details and perspectives continue to leak out of the Minnesota Vikings locker room as the franchise undergoes a cultural change in the post-Mike Zimmer era.
Cornerback Kris Boyd appeared on the All Things Covered podcast and spoke openly about the past regime.
He isn’t the first player to call out the last coaching staff, however, Boyd, using some choice words, may have lost himself points with newly hired head coach Kevin O’Connell ahead of final roster cuts this summer.
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Insider: ‘This Might Be the Thing That Gets You Booted’
On All Things Covered, Boyd was grasping for words and asked co-host Bryant McFadden if he could say anything he wanted on the show.
Boyd’s frank, NSFW comment that followed took the Internet by storm.
They walked around like their a******* tight — always be strict about everything. Anytime you messed up, it was like the world ended,” Boyd said.
Boyd added praise for the new regime as well.
“But KO (Kevin O’Connell) and them, they’re way more chill. They’re way more relaxed. Whatever we got to fix, we’re going to fix it. We going to keep rolling… everybody’s way more relaxed, the defense, the whole team… We’re really there to enjoy football and learn and just be the best us,” he said.
SKOR North’s Judd Zulgad and Phil Mackey suggested that Boyd, who was sixth on the cornerbacks depth chart last season, may not have the job security to speak so freely of the past regime.
“My suggestion for athletes on par with Kris Boyd: Do everything you can to impress your new coach. You don’t have the credibility to rip on the former culture even if you’re right,” Zulgad said. “Being Kris Boyd, you’re going to be lucky to make this team playing special teams so why don’t you focus on the new staff, what you can do here.”
Pro Bowl-caliber players like Brian O’Neill and Eric Kendricks had aired their grievances with Mike Zimmer in the past, but their complaints were more polished and came from a place of higher stature within the organization.
“If you’re Kris Boyd and you’re on the fence of a 53-man roster, this might be the thing that gets you booted,” said Mackey, who was characterizing Zulgad’s speculation.
“It’s not a good idea for a player who is probably on the line of being cut,” Zulgad added.
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More Competition for Boyd
Boyd, who has been prone to lapses in focus in the past, has added competition at cornerback this season with the additions of second-round pick Andrew Booth Jr. and fourth-rounder Akayleb Evans.
Even the top of the cornerbacks depth chart is crowded with competition. Patrick Peterson, Cameron Dantzler and Booth vying for starting spots as outside corners. Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Chandon Sullivan figures to be the teams starting slot cornerback.
Safety Camryn Bynum also played more reps at cornerback than Boyd last season and could be used as a versatile weapon in the secondary.
Harrison Hand, Nate Hairston, a former Denver Broncos cornerback brought in by defensive coordinator Ed Donatell, and Parry Nickerson are bubble players entering training camp.