Vikings cornerback reveals change to approach after three stints in concussion protocol in 2022

Akayleb Evans, Minnesota Vikings cornerback — Minnesota cornerback Akayleb Evans lines up before a play in a game against Buffalo on Nov. 13, 2022. (Isaiah Vazquez / Getty Images)

Repeat concussions have been the cause of several retirements from the NFL in recent years as the dangers of CTE from repeated head trauma have been illustrated by famous cases involving Aaron Hernandez and Junior Seau, among others.

But Minnesota Vikings cornerback Akayleb Evans isn’t ready to retire yet, even though concussions ended his 2022 season.

“I haven’t really thought about it like that,” Evans told ESPN recently. “I do know that if I ever got to a point where I felt like it was getting out of control, I would take a step back, because life is more important. But I don’t really worry about that too much, honestly.”

Evans was put into the NFL’s concussion protocol three separate times during the 2022 campaign.

He first entered on concussion protocol after a game against Chicago on Oct. 9, then subsequently re-entered on Nov. 13 and Dec. 4 after hits against the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets, respectively.

Minnesota placed him on the injured reserve after the third, ending his season.

The talented fourth-round pick out of Missouri has previously revealed this offseason that he’ll be wearing a new helmet going into his second season in the league. He’ll don a customized VICIS helmet, one of the most well-regarded helmets allowed by the NFL.

Beyond that, Evans told ESPN that his tackling technique needs work. He went head-first into tackles in the Bills and Jets games, leading directly to his concussions.

“It’s just about how I tackle,” Evans said. “My mindset when I tackle is always to be aggressive. But not every tackle has to be a kill shot. … Not every tackle has to be as hard as I can. Just being smart about that. But whenever I do go into making a tackle, just keeping my head out of it, being smart about it and intentional about it. So I’ve been working really hard on that.”

Minnesota will certainly be hoping Evans can stay out of concussion protocol in the future, because the Vikings are excited about his potential as a player.

The organization drafted him in the fourth round in 2022. Even in limited action in 2022, Evans managed to record 23 tackles, a forced fumble and two passes defended.

While with the Tigers in college he was a stud.

In one season with Missouri after transferring in from Tulsa, Evans recorded 30 tackles, 1.0 tackles for a loss, an interception, two forced fumbles and seven passes defended.