After one disappointing season in Minnesota the Mike Wallace experiment officially came to an end Tuesday when Wallace signed a new two-year contract with the Baltimore Ravens.
Wallace and the Ravens agreed to the deal that will reportedly pay the 29-year-old receiver $11.5 million.
Until Tuesday’s signing, it had seemed Wallace might stay with the Vikings, who were hoping to resign the veteran deep threat at a reduced salary compared to what he would have cost the team before his release last week.
But during his introductory press conference in Baltimore, Wallace made it clear that he wasn’t considering a return to Minnesota. His reason; the quarterback.
Wallace is looking forward to working with Flacco. https://t.co/hqzhNN5uMO
— Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) March 15, 2016
While he didn’t name Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, the message was pretty clear.
“You have a quarterback that can really sling the ball,” Wallace told the Baltimore Sun. “That’s what I need.”
It’s true that in their first year of working together Bridgewater and Wallace really didn’t connect. While Bridgewater completed 65 percent of his passes for 3,231 yards and 14 touchdowns, very little of the offense involved the receiver.
In fact, Wallace finished the season with just 39 catches for 473 yards and a career low two touchdown catches.
As 1500 ESPN points out, that’s a far cry from the 26 touchdown passes he caught over four seasons with the Steelers from 2009-2012.
“So this is going to be fun, man. This is going to be a great opportunity just to revive and get back to where I want to be at and the type of player I know I can be,” Wallace added Tuesday. “I feel like I can maximize my potential here.”
