The Minnesota Vikings surprisingly released starting cornerback Bashaud Breeland on Saturday, just 48 hours before taking the field for Monday Night Football. Now there are clues to why the veteran defensive back was suddenly released.
Breeland, a 5-foot-11 cornerback, dealt with stretches of inconsistency this season. But with Minnesota’s secondary riddled with injuries and poor play, head coach Miek Zimmer depended on Breeland to play 50-plus snaps per game as an outside cornerback. But that all changed after Saturday’s practice.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Breeland got into a verbal altercation with the Vikings’ coaching staff. He abruptly took off his cleats in anger and then got into an altercation with some of his teammates as they attempted to cool the situation down.
It proved to be the final straw for Zimmer. The coaching staff was already frustrated by criticisms Breeland made openly this season, which put him on thin ice. According to Vikings’ reporter Ben Goessling, Breeland is also the subject of a civil suit submitted by his neighbors that claims he and “several guests” were smoking marijuana.
Breeland immediately reacted to his release on Twitter.
With multiple NFL teams thin at cornerback due to injuries or COVID-19, Breeland likely won’t be without a job for long. He is subject to waivers before becoming eligible for free agency.