Matt Kalil may be in the final year of his deal with the Minnesota Vikings, but the land of 10,000 lakes already feels like home to the offensive tackle.

When it was announced that the Minnesota Vikings would exercise the fifth-year option of offensive tackle Matt Kalil, it sent a mixed message. The team was willing to give the struggling former first round draft pick one more year to prove himself, but would also be doing it at a very high price.

Matt Kalil is also struggling with some injuries. This offseason, the pizza chain owner and offensive tackle continued working on his knees and hip, and claims that he feels much better according to 1500 ESPN. However, as an offensive lineman, nagging injuries like that can be a major concern for an NFL team.

Still, both the Minnesota Vikings and Kalil are hoping that the once-promising blocker can return to form and be a cornerstone for the team for many more years to come.

“There’s absolutely no pain in my knees anymore. My hip feels awesome. I’m feeling pretty good compared to a couple years ago when my knee was kind of garbage, so to speak. It’s nice to be healthy. That definitely made me mentally tougher throughout the year. Grew up a lot, so just ready to play and have fun.”

If Matt Kalil is truly healthy, that could make a huge impact on his ability to be an effective pass blocker and protect Teddy Bridgewater’s blind side. Not only that, but he could help Adrian Peterson, the NFL’s leading rusher last season, have an even bigger season.

“Obviously I want to stay a Viking the rest of my career. Play for four or five more years, or who knows how much longer I can play. I want to compete and play at a high level as long as I’m in the NFL,” Kalil said. “I might be in Minnesota the rest of my life. So we’ll see.”

It will be interesting to see how Matt Kalil performs this year. With his good health and an established guard alongside him in the recently signed Alex Boone, this could be a bounce-back season for him, and that could mean bigger and better things for the Minnesota Vikings.