Countdown to the Vikings Season Opener: 76 Days 0 2 minutes read The Minnesota Vikings season opener at Cincinnati is 76 days away. Fans are excited to watch this team again. Even being at training camp will be more exciting than usual given how last season unfolded. From 2006-2011 that number 76 was worn by Hall of Fame left guard Steve Hutchinson. Before arriving in Minnesota, he spent five seasons with the Seattle Seahawks and was drafted no.17 overall by them out of Michigan. The Vikings signed him to a $49 million/seven-year deal, which was the richest in league history for a guard. The deal also included the infamous “poison pill,” which meant his whole contract would be fully guaranteed if he was not the highest paid lineman on the team at any point of his deal. Seattle chose not to match the offer. He spent his final NFL season in 2012 and in 12 seasons, he started in all 169 games he appeared in. Hutchinson was elected to the Hall of Fame last year.