National Football League

Vikings sign Greenway through 2015

Published Sep. 5, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

The Minnesota Vikings have signed linebacker Chad Greenway to a new five-year contract.

The team announced the deal after practice Monday.

To keep Greenway from becoming an unrestricted free agent, the Vikings tagged him in February as their franchise player, essentially a one-year contract that would've paid him more than $10 million this season. Greenway says he didn't want to leave the team he joined in 2006 as a first-round draft pick out of Iowa. The native of South Dakota has led the Vikings in tackles each of the last three years.

Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but it should give the team more space under the salary cap this year. The Vikings have also been talking about a contract extension with running back Adrian Peterson.