Paul Allen returned to his regular KFAN radio show on Monday and will keep his job as the Vikings’ play-by-play voice.

Allen, 60, was back as host of his 9 to Noon KFXN-FM 100.3 show after a one-week absence in the wake of him questioning the motivations for Minnesotans protesting the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the state.

His comments drew criticism from a large swath of listeners and Vikings fans, and he began a one-week absence from his show on the following Monday.

According to a team source, Allen will keep his job with the Vikings “as it relates to Vikings games and coverage.”

Before thousands marched in downtown Minneapolis in frigid temperatures on Jan. 23, Allen — speaking with former Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway and radio producer Eric Nordquist — said, “In conditions like this, do paid protesters get hazard pay? Those are the things that I’ve been thinking about this morning.”

After Greenway declined to engage, Allen continued.

“Everyone’s catching strays this week,” he said, citing social media criticism of that week of Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield and former NFL QB Charlie Batch. “They’re just all over. Protesters caught one this morning.”

The comments struck a nerve in Minnesota, where approximately 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents have been conducting mass immigration raids since mid-December. At the time of Allen’s comments, a federal agent had shot and killed Minneapolis resident Renee Nicole Good after stopping her car during an operation.

The next day, agents tackled and shot to death Minneapolis resident Alex Pretti during an operation.

On Jan. 25, the morning show started with a prerecorded statement from Allen in which he apologized for what he called “a misguided attempt at humor” related to thousands who marched in Minneapolis on Jan. 23.
“And while it was never made with any political intent or political affront,” he continued, “I absolutely and whole-heartedly want to apologise to those who genuinely hurt or offended by it.”

He ended the message by telling listeners he was “taking a few days off.”

It’s unclear whether his absence last week was a suspension or paid time off. Messages left Monday to show producer Eric Nordquist and KFAN program manager Chad Abbott were not immediately returned.

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