EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. — Linebacker Chad Greenway is hopeful that the Minnesota Vikings will want him back in 2015. But he knows that might be a long shot.

He’ll be 32 next season, and the team is excited about some younger linebackers. One of them, 25-year-old Audie Cole, turned heads Sunday when he stepped in for the injured Greenway and had game highs in tackles (14) and solo stops (11) while helping hold running back Matt Forte to just 23 yards on eight catches.

Afterward and again on Monday, Greenway expressed a strong desire to play another season, his 10th, with the Vikings. He’s due to make $7 million but understands he’ll have to accept less, as he did this season, going from $6.5 million to $5.5 million.

“I don’t have much of a sense (about next year) at this point,” Greenway said. “I do know there will be opportunities if there are none here. But I’m a loyal guy and I want to finish as a Viking.”

–Fullback Jerome Felton said he won’t be back next season because he’s going to exercise the opt-out clause that he got when he accepted a pay cut for this season. He’s going to do that because he knows the Vikings were going to release him anyway.

The Vikings kept a backup fullback, Zach Line, on their 53-man roster even though they used the fullback on only 16 percent of the snaps. While Felton is due to make $2.5 million in 2015, Line comes with a $585,000 salary. Line was active only for the season finale, but the Vikings clung to him on their 53-man roster when two teams tried to sign him off their practice squad earlier this season.

“We’re moving in a different direction and that’s fine,” Felton said. “I owe so much to this organization. They got my career to where I wanted it to be. So I’ve got a lot of love for them. I’m rooting for them. They’re going in the right direction. Coach Zimmer is a brilliant coach.”

Felton also wished Line good luck in the future.

“He’s got a bright future,” Felton said. “As for me, we’ll see. I still think I’m the best fullback in the league. I’m better than when I made the Pro Bowl in 2012.”