Anthony Barr, Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings can add to the list of former players to retire this summer. While the focus at TCO Performance Center is on J.J. McCarthy and his ability to shine in year one, there are plenty that wore the purple before him.
Latavius Murray was the most recent former Viking to retire. Jordan Hicks is on the list as well, and he played on the defensive side of the ball. Although the defenders paths didn’t cross, fellow linebacker Anthony Barr now joins the group.
Anthony Barr calls it a career
The Minnesota Vikings too Anthony Barr with the ninth overall pick during the 2014 NFL Draft. That was Mike Zimmer’s first selection after taking over as head coach for Leslie Frazier. Now 11 years later, Barr is bowing out.
4x Pro Bowl OLB Anthony Barr is retiring after 10 NFL seasons.
The former top-10 pick of the #Vikings started 108 games during his outstanding career. pic.twitter.com/42N4geR22w
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 5, 2025
Barr did not play a regular season game last year. His career spans 10 seasons and just two different teams. After eight with the Vikings he went to Dallas as a free agent before returning for a final season in Minnesota.
Across 116 games (108 starts) Barr accumulated a whopping 554 tackles. He was an athletic linebacker that could work in coverage, stop the run, and get after the quarterback. His sack tally winds up at 18.5 and he forced eight fumbles as well. Barr picked off a surprising five passes in his pro career, and scored his lone touchdown on a fumble return as a rookie.
Will never forget this walk off TD by Anthony Barr in his rookie season. Congrats on a great career, 55pic.twitter.com/eJNLaiw6vR
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) August 5, 2025
From 2015-2018 Barr was one of the best linebackers in the league. He made four consecutive appearances in the Pro Bowl. It would be difficult to suggest he didn’t live up to the expectations generated for a first round pick.
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Barr will now have plenty of time on his hands during his post playing career. I’d bet he’d be welcomed with open arms from Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores to come and watch what the Minnesota Vikings are doing now. As a guy who succeeded at the highest level, Barr has to love the idea of the Minnesota front seven being such a vaunted unit.
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