Vikings make Barr, Stephen signings official

The Minnesota Vikings have started NFL free agency by signing two familiar names.

It appeared linebacker Anthony Barr was headed to the New York Jets, but he had a change of heart and decided to return to the Vikings. He agreed to terms with Minnesota on the first day of NFL free agency.

Barr has started all 71 games he’s played in with the Vikings, and was Mike Zimmer’s first draft choice in 2014. Last season, he recorded 55 tackles, eight tackles for a loss and three sacks. He missed three games due to injury.

For his career, Barr has 13.5 sacks and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. He had spent five seasons with the Vikings and been a Pro Bowl selection each of the past four seasons.

The Vikings also agreed to terms with defensive lineman Shamar Stephen, who returns to Minnesota after spending 2018 with the Seattle Seahawks. He started 14 games with Seattle last year and recorded 25 tackles, two sacks and three quarterback hits. He also had two tackles in the NFC Wild Card game against Dallas.