One of the NFL’s premier run-stuffing specialists has found a new home. Former Baltimore Ravens defensive tackle Michael Pierce has agreed to a three-year deal worth $27 million with the Minnesota Vikings. Pierce has been one of the integral cogs that have allowed the Ravens to finish as a top-five run defense three of the past four years. Despite a number of good seasons, Pierce has yet to be selected to a Pro Bowl.
The #Vikings agreed to terms former #Ravens DT Michael Pierce on a 3-year deal worth $27M, source said, with a max of $28M. He gets $18M guaranteed and is back in free agency at 30.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 18, 2020
Michael Pierce Signs With Minnesota Vikings
Though Pierce is already 27 years old, he has only played four seasons. Pierce had a rocky college career that saw him transfer from Tulane to Samford due to being dubbed academically ineligible for Division I FBS football. He was then passed up by every team in the NFL during the 2016 NFL Draft. The Ravens would sign Pierce to a rookie contract as an undrafted free agent and he never looked back.
Pierce was the lone UDFA to make the Ravens roster in 2016 and would go on to play in all 16 of Baltimore’s games that season — starting one game and playing 36% of defensive snaps. He then established himself as a regular in the Ravens lineup the following season. The Ravens dealt former-starting defensive tackle, Timmy Jernigan, to the Philadelphia Eagles during the 2017 off-season and Pierce’s role began to expand. Pierce started 13 games in 2017 and registered a career-high 49 tackles, two tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and recovered two fumbles — playing 54% of defensive snaps.
Pierce’s 2019 season got off to a rough start. He was barred from practicing with the team by head coach John Harbaugh after showing up to mandatory minicamp approximately 30 lbs out of shape. He owned up to his mistake and was eventually fit enough to attend training camp but his 2019 production suffered during the season. His PFF grade dropped from an elite 91.0 n 2018 to a still solid, but underwhelming 69.2 in 2019. He finished the year starting 14 games and registering 35 total tackles, two tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and 0.5 sacks.
Pierce has never been a player that grabs many people’s attention from his stats but he remains one of the best interior run stoppers in the NFL.
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