The story that seemed to change by the hour during business hours Monday finally got some closure when Vikings released a statement during the evening to confirm the release of Randy Moss.
Here’s the full statement from head coach Brad Childress:
“This decision was made based on what we thought was in the best interests of the Minnesota Vikings, both in the short- and long-term. “We wish Randy the best as he moves forward in his career.”
So that’s how the story (almost officially) ends. Moss will be put on waivers Tuesday, opening the window for teams to put in a claim.
End of story? Not so fast.
The latest Purple Drama has several underlying currents, one of which breached the surface during Moss’ second exodus from Minnesota: Has Childress lost the Vikings’ locker room?
It’s not a new concept to hear such rumblings indirectly from Minnesota, but these rumblings also haven’t gone away.
“Clearly, in Minnesota, there is some disconnect between the head coach and a lot of the other players,” Michael Lombardi told NFL Network. “This is just the tip of the iceberg. I think you’re going to see more and more of this start to happen in Minnesota. It’s been permeating throughout the league about the unhappiness of some players there.”
Lombardi isn’t ruling out that the “disconnect” that exists between Childress and the rest of the Vikings could put him in danger of losing his job.
“Right now, I wouldn’t rule anything out in Minnesota,” Lombardi said.
It’s difficult to know how many of the players in Minnesota supported the removal of Moss, who has always been known as a great teammate. The question in Minnesota now seems to be whether Childress still has a hold on the players who remain.
– Frank Tadych
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Posted in: NFL Network
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