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According to a report from The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Bashaud Breeland visited the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday, which raises the possibility the Chiefs will not be able to re-sign him for the 2021 season.
New story. Bashaud Breeland is 1 of the top corners still available in free agency. He visited the Vikings today & the trip puts his possible return to the Chiefs in doubt. https://t.co/Pq9Qnu4JT6
— Nate Taylor (@ByNateTaylor) May 20, 2021
The Chiefs have a history of cat-and-mouse with Breeland, whom they first attempted to sign during 2018’s training camp. That spring, the former Washington Redskins cornerback had been signed to a three-year, $24 million contract with the Carolina Panthers — but the deal had fallen apart when he failed a physical as a result of an infection.
Once recovered, Breeland visited a number of teams — including the Chiefs — during July and August, hoping to find another team willing to sign him to a multi-year deal. The Chiefs reportedly offered him a one-year deal said to be worth between $7-8 million, but Breeland turned it down.
After the season began, Breeland eventually signed a one-year deal with the Green Bay Packers, playing in just seven games. Once again a free agent for 2019, the Chiefs signed him to a one-year deal worth $2 million. After the team’s Super Bowl win, Breeland tried free agency again — but after being unable to find any interest from other teams, had to settle for another one-year, $2.4 million deal with the Chiefs.
Over his two seasons with Kansas City, Breeland has started 26 games, collecting 86 tackles (67 solo, two for loss), four interceptions, a sack, a forced fumble and 17 passes defensed.
According to Taylor’s reporting, Breeland and the Chiefs have continued to have discussions about him returning to the team for 2021. But Kansas City now has two defensive backs who were first-round picks for their former teams — Deandre Baker and new addition Mike Hughes — along with returning starter Charvarius Ward and second-year player L’Jarius Sneed. It might be that the Chiefs have simply decided to move on from the 29-year-old corner, who missed the first four games of the 2020 season with a suspension.
Thus far, there is no word on whether the Vikings will be offering Breeland a contract.