The Minnesota Vikings lost one of their all-time greats.
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Joey Browner, a three-time All-Pro safety and Ring of Honor member, died Saturday at age 65. The team announced the news Sunday. A cause of death was not disclosed.
Browner was the 19th overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft out of USC and quickly became a cornerstone of the Vikings' defense. He remains one of just two safeties in franchise history taken in the first round, alongside Harrison Smith.
The #Vikings are mourning the loss of Ring of Honor Safety Joey Browner.
Browner, a 6-time Pro Bowler and 4-time 1st Team All-Pro, was named to the NFL 1980s All-Decade Team and a part of the 50 Greatest Vikings announced in 2010.
📰: https://t.co/N96K2hUiEQ pic.twitter.com/tQxi9ieRuc
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) March 29, 2026
His résumé speaks for itself. Browner earned three first-team All-Pro selections and made six straight Pro Bowls during his nine seasons in Minnesota. He recorded 37 interceptions, three returned for touchdowns, along with 17 forced fumbles and 17 recoveries across 138 games.
He also led the team in tackles in back-to-back seasons and finished fifth in franchise history in interceptions. Smith passed him on that list last year, then paid tribute, calling Browner "a guy who helped define what it is to be a safety."
Browner closed his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1992 but left his mark in Minnesota. He was named to the NFL's 1980s All-Decade Team, honored among the 50 Greatest Vikings, and inducted into the team's Ring of Honor in 2013.
Football ran in the family. Browner was one of four brothers to reach the NFL.
A star in his era, and a name that still carries weight today.
