Jared Allen razzed his teammates and bounced around the practice field in a playful manner, which seemed odd considering the Vikings' season was completely in the dumps.
It was late November and the Vikings had only two victories. This was a Wednesday, a day NFL players dread because their bodies still ache but they're back at work after a mandatory day off.
Allen was in rare form.
"Let's go," he yelled. "It's Bears week!"
Allen loved those two games every season, and now every week is Bears week for him. The former Vikings defensive end remained in the NFC North after signing a four-year contract with the Bears worth $32 million, $15.5 million of it guaranteed.
That's a lot of money for a guy who turns 32 next week and has a lot of miles on his tires. The Vikings didn't make the wrong decision in declining to re-sign Allen this offseason; likewise, the Bears made the right decision in luring him to the Windy City to replace Julius Peppers as a pass-rushing specialist.
Allen's cowboy personality and relentless attitude will score points in a market that Mike Tice once referred to as a "tough-guy town." Allen did not miss a game in his six seasons with the Vikings. He played more than 1,000 snaps in five of those seasons, according to ProFootballFocus.com.
Allen rebuffed coaches who desperately wanted to reduce his workload, and he played injured, once delaying a surgery until after the season. He put forth the same consistent effort in good seasons and miserable ones. He never cheated the Vikings, or fans.