Source: Anthony Barr spurns Jets, returns to Vikings
A day after Anthony Barr, the four-time Pro Bowl linebacker, had reportedly agreed to sign a multi-year contract with the New York Jets, it appears he got cold feet.
Barr is in contract negotiations to remain with the Vikings, a league source confirmed to the Star Tribune, after backing out of his deal in New York. The deal could pay Barr about $13.5 million per season, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated. NFL Media first reported Barr's commitment flip.
The Vikings may need to move around more money. They entered Tuesday with about $9 million to $10 million in cap space with Barr unsigned. With regard to how the Vikings would pay for a new Anthony Barr deal … they've submitted a restructured contract offer to Everson Griffen that would clear cap space. It remains to be seen where those talks will go, but that'd be the logical move.
— Ben Goessling (@GoesslingStrib) March 12, 2019 Deals with outside free agents can be signed Wednesday at 3 p.m., so that's why the Jets couldn't officially sign Barr, but he could sign with the Vikings on Tuesday because he's an in-house player.
Barr, who turns 27 on Monday, has played in 74 of 83 games since the Vikings drafted him ninth overall in 2014.