Terence Newman Agrees to Contract to Re-Sign with Vikings

Veteran cornerback Terence Newman reached an agreement Wednesday with the Minnesota Vikings to play at least one more season.

Craig Peters of the Vikings' official website first reported the longtime defender's re-signing. On Thursday morning, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported that Newman's one-year deal "is worth $3.25M. He gets $1.5M guaranteed."

The announcement came one day after Newman told SiriusXM NFL Radio he's focused on winning a championship:

Newman admitted retirement was a possibility in late December. The 38-year-old defensive back told Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press he still felt good enough to play but said there were additional factors in play.

"My mind is in a situation where I'm not going to put a time frame on [my future]," Newman said. "Physically, my body is still able to play again, but there are definitely situations that must change [to play again], some out of my hands and some in my hands, so there's a lot that goes into it."

The idea of retirement has been on his mind for a while. After the 2014 season ended, he expressed thoughts about walking away before eventually signing his initial contract with Minnesota, as noted by Coley Harvey of ESPN.com.

"I don't even know if I want to keep playing," Newman said at the time.

He added: "I'm not getting any younger. Maybe start a family or something. Run around and chase kids instead of chasing receivers. That wouldn't be bad, right?"

The Kansas State product ended up enjoying a solid 2015 season, racking up 62 combined tackles, 12 passes defended and three interceptions. He added 38 tackles and one pick in 2016 after signing a second one-year deal with the Vikings.

Newman, the fifth overall pick in the 2003 draft by the Dallas Cowboys, has played 14 years in the NFL. Along with nine years in Dallas and two seasons with the Vikings, he had a three-year stint with the Cincinnati Bengals.

All told, he's tallied 844 combined tackles, 181 passes defended, 41 interceptions, eight forced fumbles and four defensive touchdowns in 205 games. His resume also includes eight playoff games and two Pro Bowl selections.

Xavier Rhodes and Trae Waynes are slated to start at corner for the Vikings in 2017. That leaves Newman to compete with Mackensie Alexander and Marcus Sherels for playing time in nickel and dime packages. He could return to the starting lineup if Waynes' struggles continue, though.