Welcome back to the NFC North, Jeff Okudah.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Okudah has reached a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings, marking his fourth team in what will soon be a six-year NFL career.
Okudah joins Tavierre Thomas and Isaiah Rodgers as the third defensive back Minnesota has signed since the start of the 2025 free agency period. The Vikings also managed to retain secondary pieces Byron Murphy Jr. and Theo Jackson.
Last season with the Houston Texans, Okudah appeared in only six games, missing nine due to a hip injury. He finished the season with nine tackles and one pass defended.
The 26-year-old cornerback is no stranger to Michigan football fans, having been selected No. 3 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft by the Detroit Lions.
Since entering the NFL, Okudah has battled a series of injuries that have kept him off the field.
During training camp of his rookie year, he suffered a hamstring injury, causing him to miss the season opener. He then sustained a core muscle injury, limiting him to just nine games.
In the following season’s opener against the San Francisco 49ers, Okudah suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles tendon injury.
His best season in the NFL came in 2022, his third and final season with Detroit, when he tallied 73 tackles, one forced fumble, and the first and only interception of his career.
Ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Lions traded Okudah to the Atlanta Falcons for a fifth-round pick.
Due to his lack of productivity and availability, Okudah is often regarded as one of the biggest draft busts in Lions history, especially given that he was the top-ranked cornerback in his class, which also included two-time Pro Bowl defender Jaylon Johnson of the Chicago Bears.