After finishing last season with the NFC champion Carolina Panthers, defensive end Jared Allen announced his retirement by riding a horse into an absent sunset. Now, he’s going to sign a one-day contract in order to retire as a member of the team he spent his best years with.
.@JaredAllen69 has signed a one-day contract with us so he can retire as a Viking.
MORE: https://t.co/MowbMf9weZ pic.twitter.com/e1qhEyAPls
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 14, 2016
Vikings owner Zygi Wilf offered some comments about Allen when the news came out.
“We are incredibly proud to have Jared retire as a member of the Vikings franchise,” said Vikings Owner/Chairman Zygi Wilf. “Jared was not only a phenomenal player on the field, but he was also a favorite among the fans and within the organization. He will always be a member of the Minnesota Vikings family.”
Allen spent six of his 12 NFL seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, with a third-best in franchise history 85.5 sacks in that time. He earned four of his five career Pro Bowl selections in a Vikings uniform, and he led the league in sacks with 22 in 2011 (tied for second-most in league history for a single season).
Allen deserves acknowledgement for his accomplishments in Minnesota, but one-day contracts are becoming an empty gimmick that has run its course. When Allen gets his place in the Vikings’ Ring of Honor, sometime during the first few years in the new stadium for sure, that will be something for fans to legitimately celebrate.