Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips said Monday that less can be more, as far as his role.
But Phillips said that speaks to the Vikings’ crowded defensive line room as much as to the 29-year-old’s desire to make sure he’s as healthy as possible by season’s end.
Part of the Vikings’ expensive offseason included signing two former Pro Bowl defensive tackles, Jonathan Allen, 30, and Javon Hargrave, 32, to join Phillips along the interior defensive line, replacing Jonathan Bullard and Jerry Tillery.
“The three of us are older players,” said Phillips, who is entering his eighth NFL season, “so I think anytime you can go out there and platoon in three to five to six-play roles, you can really attack with waves, and because of the depth we have, we’ll truly have waves we can throw.”
“I’d imagine we’ll share snap counts a little more,” he added. “I think I was playing [70]-something percent one year I was here; I don’t see that happening.”
Phillips played a more reasonable 60% last year, after the aforementioned 2023 season in which the Vikings asked Phillips to play 839 snaps (74%). He was the first Vikings defensive tackle to play more than 70% of the snaps since Kevin Williams in 2012.
Still, Phillips referenced his own surgery this offseason, describing it as “a few things I had to clean up.” He’s been incredibly durable since signing in 2022 free agency from the Bills, starting 53 straight games over three years.
Phillips said he’s already benefiting from Hargrave and Allen during their first weeks together.