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The Minnesota Vikings invited former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Bashaud Breeland to its facilities on Thursday, May 20, 2021. Darren Wolfson reported the following day that the Vikings did make an offer to Breeland.
However, few details have been leaked.
Wolfson’s SKOR North podcast colleague Judd Zulgad elaborated on the possibility of the signing, calling it an “ideal fit” for coach Mike Zimmer and the Vikings.
“This to me would be an ideal Zimmer/Vikings type of fit,” Zulgad said on the Purple Daily podcast on Friday. “There’s no question the Vikings need — if this defense is going to be as good as it possibly can be — the presence of a guy like Breeland along with Patrick Peterson and the depth that this adds at cornerback with unknowns about Jeff Gladney’s 2021 (status) and Mike Hughes having been traded to Kansas City because he’s hurt so much. This is the kind of signing that would be an incredible steal at this time of the year.”
There’s only one caveat: Breeland does not seem set on leaving Kansas City just yet.
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Breeland Active on Chiefs Twitter, Radio Silent on Vikings
Throughout his free agency process, Breeland has been active on Twitter, largely interacting and sending subliminal messages to Kansas City and its fans.
He’s expressed several times that he’s fine waiting for a payday. However, with an offer in his back pocket from the Vikings, he may be using his visit to Minnesota as leverage in negotiations with his former team.
Breeland has even called on fans to put pressure on organizations to get the players they want — yet he’s barely interacted with Vikings fans’ messages as his mind seems to be set on running it back with the Chiefs.
However, depending on the type of offer Kansas City extends to Breeland, he may be willing to make a move to Minnesota.
Breeland’s Background
Breeland’s NFL story has been an uphill battle of getting his just dues.
A fourth-round pick by the Washington Football Team in 2014, Breeland was an instant starter and played in 60 games through his four-year rookie deal in Washington.
Breeland had a three-year, $24 million contract with the Carolina Panthers lined up until he failed a team physical due to an infection from a deep cut on the back of his foot he sustained in the Dominican Republic, The Athletic’s Nate Taylor reported. The Green Bay Packers signed Breeland off of waivers for a season before he arrived in Kansas City.
Breeland has signed single-year contracts the past three seasons, including two with the Chiefs, where he’s helped the team to the Super Bowl both years. He also made a game-tilting interception against the San Francisco 49ers that shifted the momentum to the Chiefs’ favor in their Super Bowl LIV win in 2020.
Since 2017, Breeland has allowed the second-lowest completion percentage (50.7%) among any cornerback in the league, trailing only William Jackson who just signed a three-year, $42 million contract with the Washington Football Team.
Breeland, who has yet to receive a multi-year deal since his rookie contract, seems to be chasing a last chance at his payday in the league but also acknowledged that he’s willing to wait for the salary cap to explode next season and is willing to sign another one-year contract.
However, the $2 million and $3 million dollar deals he signed in 2019 and 2020, respectively, may not be enough anymore as the Chiefs got some of Breeland’s best play of his career on a budget. He was the 57th highest-paid cornerback in the league last year and despite some struggles is still capable of making plays — putting together one of his best performances in the AFC title game against the Buffalo Bills.
His loyalty still lies in Kansas City; however, the reaction to his asking for a more comparable salary to what his peers have made over the years has led to some transparency that he’s not asking for the moon this season.
Whether the offer from the Vikings starts before or after June 1, when another $7.6 million in cap space kicks in, Minnesota likely made an offer somewhere in the range of $2 million-$6 million with its existing cap space.
Regardless of the speculation surrounding Breeland’s pay, it seems the dispute with him and Kansas City is over paid dues, something he’s unlikely to get back after years of premier corner play.
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