Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chandon Sullivan spent the last three years living in the shadows with the Green Bay Packers. It’s a quarterback-driven league, and most of the attention was on the Hall of Fame combination of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and receiver Davante Adams.
But for a player like Sullivan, it goes even deeper than that.
He was in the shadow of the shadows as a slot corner playing on the same field as Packers standout defensive back Jaire Alexander. The NFL is all about matchups, and the vast majority of the marquee matchups occur on the outside.
Sullivan has been a solid contributor at the slot cornerback position for years, and most non-Packers fans haven’t even heard of him. And even if they have heard of him, most haven’t given him the credit he deserves as one of the key cogs in the wheel defensively for previous teams.
Granted, he knows all about being overlooked considering he went undrafted in 2018. He’s had to scratch and claw his way into a position to even be on an NFL football field.
Nothing came easy.
So there’s a different mindset at play here when he talks about not getting the respect he deserves. It would be wise to heed his words.
People Been Playing With My Name For Four Years. When I Snap Again This Year Please Give Me My Credit!
— Chandon Sullivan (@showtimesully10) May 13, 2022
Sullivan ranked 10th among 41 slot corners in 2021 in yards allowed per snap, per Pro Football Focus. So his talent and abilities have clearly been underestimated.
Of course, he’ll have an opportunity to prove it when facing his former team in Week 1 of the 2022 regular season. The Vikings are slated to host Rodgers and the Packers right out of the gates.
After the schedule was released on Thursday, Sullivan put out this tweet.
😈⏳⌛️
— Chandon Sullivan (@showtimesully10) May 12, 2022
If there was ever a game for a defensive player to make a statement, it would definitely be that one.
