Vikings Pony Up to Troy Williamson, Might as Well Be Severance Pay

The Minnesota Vikings said today that they have changed their minds and will pay wide receiver Troy Williamson his regular salary for Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers, even though Williamson missed the game to be with his family after the death of his grandmother.

My feeling is this: The Vikings don't like Williamson. They think he's a bust, they regret taking him with the seventh pick in the draft, and they doubt he'll ever be a decent NFL receiver. But they also realize that on the PR front, Williamson had them beaten.

So the Vikings decided that paying him for the game he missed would be the easiest way to begin the process of severing ties with him. By paying him, they ensure that there won't be a union grievance to deal with, and that they won't have more bad PR over this incident when they eventually send him packing.

Williamson still has eight games to play, and maybe he'll show something that he hasn't in his first three and a half, and maybe then the Vikings will want to keep him. But more likely, today's decision is just a step toward Williamson's departure.