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Injury-Plagued NFL Star Okudah Seeks Redemption with Vikings
5 Aug
Summary
- Jeff Okudah, 26, contemplated leaving NFL after injury-riddled career
- Okudah found new opportunity with Vikings, impressed coach Flores
- Okudah has developed strong relationships with coaches who believe in him

In the summer of 2025, cornerback Jeff Okudah, 26, found himself at a crossroads. After a fifth NFL season that saw him play just 77 snaps for the Houston Texans, Okudah was contemplating leaving the game that had given him so much solace but also scarred his body and mind.
Okudah reached out to his longtime physical therapist Adam Stewart, asking him to draft a letter of recommendation for an MBA program. However, Okudah ultimately decided he wasn't ready to give up on his NFL dream just yet. That's when the Minnesota Vikings came calling.
The Vikings' coaching staff, led by defensive coordinator Brian Flores, saw immense potential in Okudah. Flores had been intrigued by the cornerback's physical tools and mental acuity since scouting him ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft. Now, the Vikings were determined to give Okudah a chance to revive his career.
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Okudah was sold on the Vikings' belief in him. As head coach Kevin O'Connell said, "We're going to have him in a role we feel pretty strongly about." The young cornerback has impressed in training camp, with Flores praising his grasp of the complex defensive scheme.
Okudah's journey has been marked by adversity, from a torn labrum in college to a torn Achilles and various other injuries in the NFL. But he has found solace in the game and the coaches who have believed in him, like Greg Schiano and Jeff Hafley at Ohio State. Now, with the Vikings and Flores, Okudah is determined to prove he can be a top cornerback in the league.