The Minnesota Vikings worked out Reggie Stubblefield this past week who was the nomination for CFL Rookie of the Year from the Montreal Alouettes. Stubblefield plays with a high degree of intensity and focus without crossing the line.
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Stubblefield was among the players released by the Alouettes following the preseason on June 3. He was told at the time that he would be the first player they brought back if an opportunity arose. He was resigned to Montreal’s practice roster on June 26. He made his regular season debut in week 4 against the Winnipeg Blue Bombers listed as a second-string strong-side linebacker. He then returned to the practice roster for the next 3 games until he was elevated to the roster against Hamilton in week 9.
Once Stubblefield started in a game he was a starter for Montreal for the remainder of the year playing his first 6 starts at defensive halfback and his last 9 starts starting at strongside linebacker including 3 playoff games.
Over his 12 starts in the regular season, Stubblefield contributed 38 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 interceptions, a forced fumble, and had a team-leading 9 passes defended.
Reggie Stubblefield was recognized by Pro Football Focus as being named to their CFL All-Star team at Halfback. He was also their selection for CFL Rookie of the Year. According to PFF, he allowed just 14 catches all season and 7 first downs. He allowed 0 touchdowns and had a 27.8& forced incompletion rate which was the highest in the CFL. When quarterbacks threw his way they combined for a 29.7 QB rating. Stubblefield finished the season with an 89.1 coverage grade which was the fifth highest in the league.
Over the playoffs, Stubblefield led the Alouettes in tackles with 23 and also contributed 23 tackles, a sack, and an interception. By my count, he also had 2 run stops, and 2 run stop assists, made 5 stops against completed passes, and defended 4 passes.
Stubblefield was highly impactful throughout the Alouette’s postseason run that saw them win the Grey Cup over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers 28-24.
In the Western Semi-Final, Stubblefield had a highly impactful 4th quarter. He made a stop against the pass and then broke up a pass 2 plays later. He also had a pass breakup in the final 2 minutes.
Stubblefield had a massive game in the upset victory over Toronto in the Eastern Final contributing 11 tackles, an interception, 2 run stops, a run stop assist, 2 stops against the pass, and 2 passes defended.
Stubblefield had 5 tackles in the Grey Cup. He made a quick move on a blitz stabbing his foot to the outside before cutting to the interior to get past Winnipeg’s tackle to close in quickly for a sack. He also made a similar move to get past a blocker to make a run stop. He also made a good tackle keeping a passing play to 3 yards forcing Winnipeg to settle for a field goal.
Stubblefield attended the Minnesota Vikings and Kansas City Chiefs Rookie Minicamp in 2022. He played his final year of collegiate football for Kansas State where he contributed 34 tackles (27 solo), 7 tackles for loss, and 1 sack over 12 games with 6 starts. He is 25 years old and measures 6’0 and 195 pounds.
The Vikings have linebacker Jordan Hicks hoping to return for Sunday’s game against Detroit who is the 4th highest-graded player in overall defense for the Vikings by PFF. The Vikings 2nd highest graded defensive player is linebacker Ivan Pace Jr.
A player such as Reggie Stubblefield who has somewhat of an unknown level of potential could be a tremendous asset for the Vikings in 2024 if he is able to continue to jump to the NFL and continue to perform at a high level. He is a versatile player who had much success at SAM linebacker and was also named to the PFF CFL All-Star team listed as a defensive back in the halfback position. Stubblefield also has experience playing cornerback at the collegiate level.
Vikings Linebacker and Defensive Back Depth Chart and Contracts
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Grey Cup Report MTL 28-24 WPG
CFL Eastern Final Report MTL 38-17 TOR
CFL Western Final Report WPG 24-13 BC
CFL Eastern Semi-Final Report MTL 27-12 HAM
CFL Western Semi-Final Report BC 41-30 CGY
