NFL great downplays importance of OTAs
Former Minnesota Vikings star Jared Allen appears on OutKick's "Don't @ Me with Dan Dakich" to talk about organized team activities in the NFL.
Jared Allen was a five-time Pro Bowler when he was on the field for the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs and struck fear into opposing quarterbacks for 12 years.
With organized team activities (OTAs) ongoing for each of the 32 NFL teams, fans may be concerned about players not showing up. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson skipped some of the team’s workouts and reportedly cost himself a pretty penny.
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Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen (69) is shown after losing to the Chiefs in Kansas City, Missouri, on Oct. 2, 2011. (David Eulitt/Kansas City Star/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Allen, who appeared on OutKick’s "Don’t @ Me with Dan Dakich" didn’t think fans should concern themselves with who shows and who no-shows for organized team activities with the season three months from kickoff.
"Absolutely not. I had some of my best seasons not doing OTAs," he told Dakich. "OTAs are good for getting rust off. You’re out there in helmets, you’re not doing much. It’s a glorified workout, basically. I wouldn’t stress too much about it if I was a fan."
Jared Allen says fans shouldn't be too worried about players not showing up for OTAs. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images/File)
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"This time of year, you got to trust your players and each person is different. Some people need a stronger workload to be ready, some don’t. Some people need a training camp, some don’t. I think it’s up to the individual and what’s best for them."
Allen said teams could have workouts and go over football-related things without putting players at risk.
OTAs for most teams end this week with mandatory minicamps starting this week.
Jared Allen, former defensive end of the Minnesota Vikings, is inducted into the Vikings' Ring of Honor during halftime at U.S. Bank Stadium on Oct. 30, 2022, in Minneapolis. (David Berding/Getty Images)
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Training camp is more than a month away and the preseason follows that.
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