Chad Greenway grew up in South Dakota, played his college football at Iowa and was drafted in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
After reaching a deal to restructure his contract and stay with the Vikings in 2015, Greenway may now get to play his whole football career without leaving the friendly confines of the Upper Midwest.
Greenway, who was the first player drafted after the Wilf family purchased the Vikings, appeared on 100.3 KFAN with Paul Allen on Monday and said he was very happy to remain a Viking.
“The Wilfs have always told me from day one that they wanted me to be a Viking for life and wanted to figure out a way to do it,” Greenway said. “I can’t say there’s a lot of people that have that experience in the NFL, and I can say I’m one of them.”
Greenway was scheduled to make $7 million this season – the final year of the contract he signed in 2011. According to the Star Tribune, after agreeing to the pay cut, his new base salary will be about $3.4 million, with only $1 million guaranteed.
The newspaper notes he could earn up to $4 million through roster bonuses, including $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses.
The move also created $3.225 million in cap space for the Vikings.
Greenway’s deal with the Vikings seemed to make his teammates on the defensive side of the ball happy.
Brian Robison on Chad Greenway returning. "I'm very happy. Classy guy and will get to spend 10 years in one organization, which is special''
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) March 28, 2015
Captain Munnerlyn on Chad Greenway coming back": "I think it’s wonderful. He can still play. I think he’s got a lot of football left in him"
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) March 28, 2015
Greenway finished second on the team last season with 115 tackles, despite missing four games because of injuries last season.
Greenway has also been a model citizen for the Vikings off the field. His dedication to various charities earned him the Byron “Whizzer” White award from the NFLPA.
