The Sports Xchange

Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway could be gearing up for his final season in the NFL.

The 10-year veteran agreed to a pay cut in March to remain with the Vikings on the heels of a season in which Pro Football Focus ranked him 38th among 40 outside linebackers who played in 4-3 defense.

“I don’t know how it’s going to go,” said Greenway. “I’ll tell you I’m enjoying everything with the idea of, ‘Who knows? We’ll see.’ Ten years is sort of that unwritten (goal). Everyone wants to get there. We’ll see what happens.”

Greenway turns 33 in January 2016 and is spending the spring resting his body and recovering from knee and rib injuries that interrupted his 2014 season. He was a first-round pick in 2006 and his streak of 90 consecutive starts and six seasons as the team’s leading tackler ended in 2014.

“The longer you play, the longer it takes you to recover,” Greenway said. “So you take that time to get your body back to as good as it’s going to be, I guess. You just have to take it at your own pace. But we’re working pretty hard here. It’s a long grind. You have to take your time working into it.”

Greenway said the health of his knees is a definite factor to be weighed in determining whether to play in 2016. His contract with the Vikings expires at the end of the 2015 season.

“That’s a big leader. He was our defensive caller last year. When we didn’t have him in sometimes it was kind of rough to get the calls in, but having in him, he’s a big vocal point of our team,” said defensive end Everson Griffen. “He’s a leader. He’s been here. This is his 10th season. So I’m happy the guy’s still here. I love him like a brother.”