Sharrif Floyd didn’t mince words when airing out his frustrations with the Minnesota Vikings in an Instagram post last Saturday.
The 26-year-old defensive tackle, whose last game with Minnesota came during Week 1 of the 2016 season, vented about the way he felt he was treated by the organization after he tore the meniscus in his right knee and later underwent surgery.
Floyd shared a photo that was a collection of statements made by Mike Zimmer where the Vikings coach referred to the tackle as “kind of out of sight, out of mind” and said he was “kind of used to it,” regarding Floyd’s absence ahead of the Green Bay game.
The former 2013 first-round draft pick suffered complications in surgery that resulted in nerve damage that has threatened his playing career.
“I’m sharing this picture first because it was 2 days before I went into surgery,” Floyd wrote in his post. “These words were used to slander my name, tarnish me as a person and a player.”
Zimmer said he had seen the comments Floyd made when asked about it during the NFL owners meetings in Orlando.
“I suppose I say a lot of things about players during the season, but I had a good relationship with Sharrif like I do all the players, so I don’t think it was…I haven’t seen him in two years maybe?” Zimmer said.
Floyd filed a grievance in February, according to The Star Tribune, to try and recoup the $6.757 million he was slated to make during the 2017 season. According to the Tribune, Floyd earned a $2 million base salary for the 2017 season and a $6,450 workout bonus.
The defensive tackle was placed on the non-football injury list ahead of last season, which he contests should not have been the case due to the nature of what his injury stems from.
Zimmer said it took the Vikings a while after they realized Floyd wasn’t recovering to discover the severity of the nerve damage in his knee.
“We didn’t know until after it happened, obviously,” Zimmer said. “It was a long time before we figured (it) out.”
The Vikings have kept any word about Floyd’s status close to the vest over the last few months. When asked by ESPN about a timetable for Floyd’s recovery last October, general manager Rick Spielman declined to comment, citing the “complicated” matter of the situation. Asked again in February, Spielman said the issue is one “we will address as we go through our process.”
Floyd became a free agent on March 14. His agent, Brian Mackler, said he was unaware of the Instagram post when asked about it by ESPN on Monday.
Minnesota signed former Seahawks defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson during the first wave of free agency to fill an immediate need at the 3-technique position. At this point, Floyd’s return to football appears bleak.