Whether Anthony Barr receives a contract extension before his run in Minnesota ends remains to be seen. What we do know is the team doesn't plan on moving on from him before the end of the 2018 season.
On Friday, coach Mike Zimmer shot down any rumors about trading Barr before they started after the linebacker sat out Thursday's practice.
"I was made aware of an erroneous report about Anthony Barr. Anthony is my guy..." Zimmer said, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "We are unequivocally not trying to trade Anthony. ... There's none whatsoever truth to that rumor. He had a tweak yesterday and we kept him out. ... He should be out there today."
It's unclear what "report" Zimmer is referring to, as no reputable outlet has provided such a nugget. However, one can always find bogus scuttlebutt on any topic if he or she scours the corners of the internet hard enough.
Zimmer is simply getting out in front of any rumors before they have a chance to gain legs and distract his linebacker and the team.
Barr, the No. 9 overall pick in 2014, slated to earn $12.3 million in the fifth and final year of his rookie contract.
After extending the contracts of Danielle Hunter and Stefon Diggs in recent months, Barr is the next Vikings draft pick in line for a new deal.
"We're trying to get him signed," Zimmer said. "Hopefully, we can. But that's between upstairs and his people. So we'd love to have him here. ... I want him to get the best deal he can possibly get but in a selfish way I want him to be here too.''
Off the ball linebackers like Barr don't generally get paid like pass rushers in today's NFL, so bridging the gap for the 26-year-old could get tricky. If the Vikings can't extend Barr, the franchise tag could be an option next offseason.
