Former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen held a press conference to discuss his storied NFL career, Hall of Fame selection and his opinion on the current state of the franchise.
Allen finished his career with four All-Pro selections and 136 career sacks, playing for the Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Carolina Panthers.
As with most retired players, their views are more candid once departing the league. Allen didn’t disappoint in his press conference, even taking a shot at the New York Jets.
What Did Jared Allen Say About the New York Jets?
The Jets haven’t reached the playoffs since finishing 11-5 in 2010, when second-year quarterback Mark Sanchez led them. Since that campaign, the franchise has finished with a .500 or better record in three seasons — almost two decades of disappointing results.
New York’s struggles haven’t gone unnoticed by Allen. The former star says he’d rather be where the Vikings are as a franchise than be part of the Jets’ current dysfunction.
#Vikings HOF Jared Allen roasting the #Jets at his press conference today 😭
“You get to say this stuff when you retire. You can say whatever you want. It’s awesome.” 🤣
🎥: @Vikings pic.twitter.com/rPfmCroAR1
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) March 4, 2025
“I’d rather be close than, freaking, who sucks? The Jets?” Allen said during the presser. “Oh gosh. Being the Jets would be miserable right now. I just can’t believe anybody took that job.”
“You get to say this stuff when you retire. You can say whatever you want. It’s awesome. I can talk bad about all the organizations, because they don’t pay paychecks. It’s awesome.”
Allen’s statement seemed to question why former player Aaron Glenn decided to take the helm of the fledgling team. Glenn will be New York’s fourth head coach since 2018, and the squad will enter the 2025 season with uncertainty at multiple positions.
As for Minnesota, Allen believes the team is very close to finally getting over the proverbial hump.
“We’re close,” Allen said. “I’ll state the obvious. We’ve been close for a long time. The next hurdle in the Vikings organization is, ‘How do we get there?’ And that’s just the truth.”
The Vikings finished the 2024 season 14-3 but were eliminated in the Wild Card Round by the Los Angeles Rams.