Seattle Seahawks kicker Blair Walsh accused his former Minnesota Vikings teammates of taunting him from the sideline during last Friday’s preseason game, but that accusation is news to the Vikings.
The Vikings universally denied that anything had been done to Walsh beyond what usually happens on an NFL sideline during a kicking situation.
“There were guys just yelling his name,” Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph said, via Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. “You could be down there on any preseason game, and when the kicker is on our hash, guys are going to be hollering out to him.”
Wide receiver Jarius Wright was taken aback as well.
“It was funny,” Wright said. “We looked at each other (on the sideline) like, ‘Did Blair just do that?’
“Blair has never been that type of guy to try to show somebody up or anything like that, so I was definitely surprised. But that doesn’t take away from the guy Blair is. I still think he’s a great guy.”
Wright believes that Walsh may have been trying to send a message to one or both of his former coaches, head coach Mike Zimmer and special teams coach Chuck Priefer.
“I think it was more at — I’m not a betting man — but either at Zim or Priefer,” he said.
Walsh blamed his former teammates for inciting his taunts. Said teammates are either denying everything or simply have no idea what he’s talking about.
