EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. –Chad Greenway isn't thinking any farther ahead than Sunday's game against the Bears.
The 11-year veteran on Monday told Twin Cities media members that now is not the time to make any decisions regarding his future.
"There's going to be a time and a place for that, and this week I just want to stay focused on winning this football game," Greenway said.
The Packers effectively squelched the Vikings playoff hopes by defeating them on Saturday. Even though the upcoming game against Chicago will be Minnesota's last of the 2016 season, Greenway said the Vikings will approach it the same way they do every game.
And he's glad the Vikings can wrap up their season at home.
"We're not playing for anything right now, but we could be one of the few teams that gets to win their last game of the season, so we're going to try to do that," Greenway said.
Greenway went on to say that allowing motivation to wash away with playoff hopes goes against the Vikings mentality and that he expects a 100-percent effort from his teammates.
"You don't walk on the football field, or anything for that matter, and do it [half-heartedly], and it certainly shouldn't be happening in this building," Greenway said. "I just feel like with the type of character guys we have in here, you can't have that."
Greenway feels it's important to end the season on a high note, especially given the disappointing way things went after starting 5-0 before the bye week. He credited the ensuing downfall largely to mental errors across the board.
The Vikings played against a number of talented offenses and quarterbacks throughout the year, and Greenway said the defense made critical missteps that can't be afforded in an NFL game.
"We had been playing some pretty good defensive football for some good stretches, I think, this season – in some cases you'd play really well but then still have some issues finishing the game, like the Detroit game and some other instances," Greenway said. "To start 5-0 and to end where we're ending, the back two-thirds of the season didn't go the way they were supposed to. And for whatever reason that happened, it happened. Extremely frustrating."
Despite the frustrations, the linebacker said Minnesota's record won't be a deciding factor in his future.
Greenway, who's recorded 43 tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and an interception over 15 games this season, expects uncertainties to exist regardless of what happens this offseason. He said he's talked to friends who have gone through the same process.
"It's a tough decision, it really is," Greenway said before later adding: "Not everybody gets the opportunity that I've had, so I cherish that and kind of keep things in perspective.
"It's just such a weird thing being 33 years old and talking about this," Greenway continued. "It's been interesting to turn 30 in the NFL and then go through these past three years and get called old. It's just funny."
But there will be plenty of time for reflection after the season, and it isn't over yet.
"For now, in this building, we need to try to stay focused on getting a win – getting our crowd into U.S. Bank Stadium and giving them a show and having some fun," Greenway said. "I mean, that's all you're playing for at this point – go out there and have fun and enjoy it and hopefully give your fans a show and go out with the win."
