Report: Shamar Stephen to return to Minnesota

The Seattle Seahawks and Minnesota Vikings swapped defensive tackles in free agency in 2018, with the Vikings signing Sheldon Richardson from Seattle and the Hawks in return signing both Tom Johnson and Shamar Stephen. All three players signed one year contracts for 2018, though Johnson returned to Minnesota barely more than a week into the season after being cut by the Seahawks due to roster issues.

With the 2019 free agency period having arrived, it is not Stephen’s turn to board a return flight to the Vikings, as reports on social media indicate that is where he is heading.

Seattle remains in good shape at the defensive tackle position, with Jarran Reed, Naz Jones and Poona Ford all still manning the position. In addition, defensive end Quinton Jefferson is able to slide down from defensive end and play tackle in certain situations as well.

As of the time of writing there is no report on the compensation for Stephen’s contract with Minnesota, however, it marks the third departure of a member of the Hawks in free agency on the opening day of the legal tampering period. Now it remains to be seen how the Hawks handle bringing in free agent acquisitions going forward.