Of course the Vikings were forced into a change with Rondale Moore after he suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Houston Texans. That move came with another transaction though, and it was surprising.

Former third round pick Brian Asamoah was waived. Despite being a potential cut candidate, it didn’t seem like it would come this soon. Fortunately for him he wasn’t unemployed long.

Tennessee Titans sign Brian Asamoah

The Minnesota Vikings took Brian Asamoah with their third round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. At one point he appeared like an athletic freak that could contribute in a big way on defense. Now the front seven has worked him out of their plans and he joins the Tennessee Titans.

The #Titans plan to claim linebacker Brian Asamoah off waivers, per sources.

The Vikings’ former third-round pick was released Tuesday, now gets fresh start in Tennessee, which is first in the claim order. pic.twitter.com/OygM2Y2PKp

— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 13, 2025

Asamoah played in all 17 games for the Vikings last year, and has appeared in 46 throughout his career. He never established himself as a key cog in Brian Flores’ defense though, and he played just a combined 69 defensive snaps the past two seasons.

The Titans take a flier on Asamoah and he could earn more substantial run with the AFC South unit. They finished just 3-14 last year and could use all the additional talent they can come into.

Related: Patriots Head Coach Taking Joint Practices vs Vikings VERY Seriously

Tennessee picked quarterback Cam Ward in the first round during the draft in hopes of getting back to being competitive. Asamoah will compete with James Williams Sr. and Cody Barton for linebacking reps this season.

Minnesota does not play Tennessee during the regular season this year, but the Titans are the final (and lone road) preseason opponent for the Vikings. That game is scheduled for August 22nd.

Rondale Moore signed with the Vikings after spurning the division rival Chicago Bears. He wasn’t in line for significant wide receiver reps, but he looked like a key contributor on special teams and someone who would be relied upon during Jordan Addison’s upcoming suspension.

Unfortunately, it took a single punt return to end his season for a second-straight year, leaving the game with an apparent knee injury that immediately was reported as “significant”.

Rondale Moore confirmed done for Minnesota Vikings

Moore took the punt from left to right and was tackled on the sideline, in what some might view as a “hip drop tackle”. No matter, it resulted in the former Purdue superstar being carted off the field.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Minnesota Vikings confirmed Rondale Moore’s diagnosis as a season-ending knee injury, though Darren Wolfson (KSTP) reported on “Purple Daily” (SKOR North) earlier in the day that his injury is NOT an ACL issue.

Tests confirmed WR Rondale Moore suffered a season-ending knee injury in Saturday’s preseason game.

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 12, 2025

“We don’t have the exact update. I know on Instagram he posted, “Blessed.” I was told it’s not an ACL. Kevin O’Connell postgame on Saturday alluded to a serious knee injury. I’m told, for whatever it’s worth, the most common knee injury is a torn anterior cruciate ligament. I’m told it’s not an ACL, but we don’t have the exact diagnosis.”

Darren Wolfson – SKOR North

After tearing his right ACL last season, the knee injury for Moore this time around appears to be in his left knee. It’s unfortunate news for a Minnesota Vikings team already thin at wide receiver. Justin Jefferson is still working his way back from a hamstring strain, and Jordan Addison is staring down his upcoming suspension.

Without Moore, head coach Kevin O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will need to figure out alternatives at both wide receiver and punt returner. They have just a few weeks left until kicking off Week 1 in Chicago against the Bears.

Brian Asamoah sent packing by MN Vikings

Minnesota used a third round pick on Brian Asamoah in the 2022 NFL Draft. He appeared primed for a more significant role on defense, early in his career, but he never realized that potential.

He entered training camp on the roster bubble, before surprisingly becoming an early camp cut on Tuesday. The Vikings announced the cuts of Asamoah and Zeke Correll, along with the Rondale Moore update.

The #Vikings have waived Brian Asamoah II, waived/injured Zeke Correll and placed WR Rondale Moore on IR. https://t.co/Vcdaiv4iqa pic.twitter.com/Edm6UQekyI

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 12, 2025

Asamoah payed 46 games across three seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He tallied just 30 tackles in that span, none of them being for losses or a sack. After 119 defensive snaps (11%) as a rookie in 2022, he combined for only 69 total defensive snaps the past two seasons.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Claim New Offensive Lineman

Minnesota did utilized Asamoah on special teams, even if he wasn’t a heavy part of their defensive plan. Without a path to improved playing time, however, the Vikings decided they were ready to move on, and likely wanted to give Brian additional time to find a new team.

Zeke Correll was signed as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina State, following the 2025 NFL Draft. He played in 13 games last season as a senior for the Wolf Pack. Now, he will be looking to keep his professional football career alive.

While there are battles further down the depth chart, you’d be misguided to think that starting talent doesn’t want to assert themselves as well. The offense has had to deal with difficult Brian Flores schemes, and that means they’ve had to earn every inch.

Individually guys are going to want standout moments, but that doesn’t mean it won’t draw the ire of the competitors around them. Enter linebacker Brian Asamoah.

Brian Asamoah hurls a haymaker in MN Vikings practice

It has been an interesting career for Minnesota Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah. There was a time he seemed like a breakout candidate, but now he could be on the roster bubble. After lighting up Aaron Jones on a tackle, a scuffle broke out.

This was followed more feistiness. Tyler Batty tackled Aaron Jones to the ground in the backfield. And J.J. McCarthy came in and shoved Batty. Entire team is now in the middle of the field hearing it from Kevin O’Connell, who had a hard no-fighting rule. https://t.co/L83ijvSay8

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) August 2, 2025

Asamoah and Batty are both little more than additional depth, but they are trying to stand out in relation to their peers. Asamoah is a former third round pick that has yet to substantiate himself. Batty went undrafted and would love a shot at the practice squad.

Related: Former Vikings Draft Pick At Risk of Getting Cut?

Of course quarter J.J. McCarthy isn’t going to put up with the beef up front or his starting veteran running back being knocked around. While he still needs to show his prowess as a contender when games start to count, it matters that he shows protection for those around him too.

Vikings need poise during joint practices

This is just training camp in its infancy still. There will be plenty more high contention situations to arise as the roster trims down and the regular season draws nearer.

O’Connell clearly was not thrilled with what he saw from the Minnesota Vikings displaying a level of infighting today. It’s one thing to see tensions rise with your own team. It’s completely another to almost expect it against the competition.

In the lead up to their second preseason contest against the New England Patriots, the Vikings will share the TCO Performance Center practice fields with the competition. Joint practices always seem to bring out additional frustrations.

Related: 4 Vikings Defenders Who Could Earn Bigger Role During Training Camp

Regardless of their roster status or the mark they’d like to make, Vikings players will need to remain in check the rest of the way.

Like everyone given a chance to make decisions, as he’ll admit, Mensah has been learning from his mistakes. This year’s Vikings roster may be the best one he’s built yet. Heck, if J.J. McCarthy pans out early on, this could be the best roster in Vikings history.

Yet, that also means he’ll inevitably have to make some tough calls along the way, like when trimming the 90-man roster down to 53 players. In this case, it could mean cutting or trading players that Mensah previously thought would be a perfect fit for the team.

In this case, former third-round pick Brian Asamoah II’s time in Minnesota could be coming to an end.

Brian Asamoah may not have a role for Minnesota Vikings

According to The Athletic’s local Vikings expert Alec Lewis, rookie sixth-round pick Kobe King is already ahead of Asamoah on the linebacker depth chart. As a result, Asamoah’s likely looking at getting cut or traded before the regular season gets underway.

Being that Asamoah has only contributed a grand total of 30 tackles across three seasons, the Vikings won’t be missing much if they decide to move on. Still just 25 years old, it’s possible Asamoah figures it all out in the near future. The Vikings could opt to hold onto him for another season, hoping he taps into the potential that got him drafted.

Yet, he’s also in the final year of his rookie contract. So if the Vikings don’t expect Asamoah to be a regular contributor at any point in the upcoming season, then there’s no point in holding onto him any longer. If a team is willing to offer a sixth or seventh-round pick, then that would be considered a bonus at this point.

Related: Brian Flores Interested in Newly Available Star Free Agent

Otherwise, why not stick with a younger player with upside, like King, the 201st overall pick in April’s draft? As we’ve seen with other players like former sixth-round pick Josh Metellus, you just never know what young players will develop into with a few years of coaching.

First, the Vikings swapped out some future day three selections to land RB Cam Akers from the Houston Texans. Then, last week, they swung a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars for LT Cam Robinson, following an announcement that imminent Pro Bowler Christian Darrisaw would miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL/MCL in his right knee.

Minnesota Vikings tried trading Brian Asamoah before NFL trade deadline

Those two trades ended up being the only moving and grooving that Kwesi did, prior to the 2024 NFL trade deadline. But that doesn’t mean the Minnesota Vikings didn’t try to do more. The Vikings were working the phones all day. The player they shopped the hardest seems to be inside linebacker, Brian Asamoah.

According to trusted NFL insider, Jeremy Fowler (ESPN), the Vikings tried to unload Asamoah. Fortunately or unfortunately, they couldn’t get a deal done before time ran out.

A few former Day 2 picks from the 2022 draft class who were on my radar but didn’t get traded were Broncos tight end Greg Dulcich and Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah II. Both teams had trade discussions on the players, who are not in the mix for playing time. And there was interest, which deepened the intrigue on deadline day. But both teams decided to stand pat.

Jeremy Fowler – ESPN

I am a bit surprised a trade for Brian Asamoah never came to be on Tuesday. If you’ll remember, Asamoah was supposed to be the Minnesota Vikings secret ILB weapon, when Brian Flores first took the job as defensive coordinator.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Sign New Veteran Long Snapper, Place Andrew DePaola on IR

Many saw him as the exact type of uber-athletic LB/S hybrid that would wreak havoc on opposing offenses, kind of like what Josh Mettellus has become. Unfortunately, injuries during training camp 2023 hindered his ability to prove himself as that type of defensive weapon.

Asamoah unable to find the field

Those injuries, along with the rise of Ivan Pace Jr, meant more time on the bench for Asamoah, even after he returned to full health. And ever since, he’s struggled to find snaps. Even with Blake Cashman missing the last few games due to injury, Asamoah hasn’t been able to find the field.

Now, UDFA Kamu Grugier-Hill is getting reps over Brian Asamoah. I would have thought that would be enough for the Vikings to move on from the 24-year-old former Oklahoma Sooner, who’s only seen 13 total snaps on defense all season, according to PFF. Asamoah has one season, after this year, remaining on his rookie contract (Spotrac).

Although they have only three draft picks in 2025, there’s a few players the Vikings could trade to earn more draft capital. At least, according to one Minnesota Vikings’ beat writer.

Three potential players the Minnesota Vikings could trade for more draft capital

According to Judd Zulgad (Skor North), there’s three potential players the Minnesota Vikings could look to trade over these next couple days. Those players are former 2022 first-round draft pick safety Lewis Cine, 2022 third-round pick inside linebacker Brian Asamoah, and 2021 third-round pick outside linebacker Patrick Jones II.

Over the next few days, @Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah may look to acquire some more draft capital heading into 2025, per @jzulgad.

Speculating, these are three potential players Adofo-Mensah could move:
1️⃣S Lewis Cine
2️⃣ILB Brian Asamoah
3️⃣OLB Patrick Jones II pic.twitter.com/oSL4g2iX4l

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) August 24, 2024

It will be interesting to see if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah tries to make any trades before cuts are announced on Tuesday. The Vikings would love to add a draft pick or two because right now they only have three for 2025, including their first-rounder. Safety Lewis Cine was clearly being showcased last Saturday against the Browns and should get plenty of snaps against the Eagles. Speculating on other players Adofo-Mensah might try to move: Linebacker Brian Asamoah, a third-round pick in 2022 and/or pass rusher Pat Jones II, a third-round pick in 2021.

Judd Zulgad (Skor North)

Cine has been talked about as a trade target before. However, he did have a strong preseason game that may be lingering in the back of Adofo-Mensah’s head. Although he was a former first-round pick, Cine just hasn’t panned out with this team. It’s extremely unfortunate, but that is the nature of the NFL sometimes.

Asamoah is an intriguing trade asset too. He was supposed to be the starting inside linebacker last season, but was beat out by undrafted free agent Ivan Pace Jr. At the time, it looked really bad on Asamoah’s end. However, Pace Jr. has turned into one of the best linebackers in the NFL.

Related: Lewis Cine Still Has Uphill Battle to Make 53-Man Roster

Zulgad listing Jones II was quite interesting as well. Jones II hasn’t done a whole lot in his NFL tenure with the Minnesota Vikings, but really seemed to take that “next step” this offseason.

What could the Minnesota Vikings’ get in return for these players?

The Vikings are unlikely to get any high-end draft picks for any of these players. You’re likely looking at a sixth or seventh round draft pick back in return. Possibly conditional measures on those picks depending on snap counts during the season.

3 out of the top 4 draft picks by #Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in 2022 are “on the ropes” of not making the 53-man roster, per @SeifertESPN 👀

“Jobs are neither won nor lost during spring practices, but anyone watching could see that three of the Vikings' top 4 picks from the… pic.twitter.com/rTdWor8juL

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) June 22, 2024

Overall, having only three picks in the 2025 NFL draft isn’t stellar. Adofo-Mensah has a chance to add more draft picks for players that likely will be cut or will see limited snaps during the season. Will Adofo-Mensah make these moves by Tuesday, August 27th at 3:00PM CST?

Could Brian Asamoah force his way back into Minnesota Vikings starting lineup?

As a rookie it seemed like Brian Asamoah was on a trajectory to stand out. The the Minnesota Vikings agreed to terms with undrafted rookie Ivan Pace Jr. By the end of last season Pace had become a leader on the defense.

This season Pace will done the green dot for Flores. Asamoah hasn’t had much of a path towards playing time, but that may change. The Athletic’s Alec Lewis is suggesting that’s a storyline to watch during training came.

Brian Asamoah II, a third-round pick of the Vikings in 2022, only played 36 defensive snaps last year. He missed time in training camp and never fully returned to the lineup. Ivan Pace Jr.’s emergence factored into the team’s decision, but Asamoah was also navigating foot and shoulder injuries.

Asamoah said this week that he underwent surgery in January to repair his labrum tear. He had played through the injury, mostly on special teams. Pace and Blake Cashman have taken most of the first-team defensive snaps with the first-team, but Asamoah has had a Bullet Bill vibe to him this week.

Alec Lewis on Brian Asamoah earning a role

Breaking the starting 11 won’t be easy…

The Minnesota Vikings spent on Minnesota-native Blake Cashman this offseason. He is going to start alongside Pace. That said, Asamoah pushing his way back in wouldn’t be crazy. Remember, this time last year, Asamoah was expected to blossom into a legitimate starting backer.

Related: Demon Time: No. 0 Hits Different on Ivan Pace Jr

As a rookie, the former Oklahoma Sooner played in all 16 games, but recorded just 17 tackles while nursing a season-long injury. Asamoah was on the field for just 11% of the Vikings’ defensive snaps ion 2023. He was able to force and recover a fumble.

Don't forget about LB Brian Asamoah.

He battled through injuries all of last season. Seems to be 100% now. He's entering his third season and could be a great depth piece. #Vikings pic.twitter.com/FXn6Naa9E0

— Alec Ausmus (@A_TwiceKSTP) July 27, 2024

Even if Asamoah doesn’t overtake Pace or Cashman at any point this year, having a high quality backup would be great. The injuries are now in the rearview mirror, and that could make him better than ever. Minnesota would love to see Asamoah turn his trajectory on its head, and that could take place in 2024.

Vikings attend Odell Beckham Jr’s workout

Beckham, now 30-years-old, held a private workout over the weekend and the Vikings were one of eleven teams in attendance. Shocker (not) … he looked great.

Had to show love to my guy @obj at his private workout! pic.twitter.com/Nu4OJm1lOL

— Prince Amukamara (@PrinceAmukamara) March 11, 2023

Not only does OBJ fit exactly what the Minnesota Vikings offense needs, but he has connections all over the roster. He and Kevin O’Connell won a Super Bowl together in LA and Justin Jefferson is a fellow LSU alum.

You might remember, Odell was banned from LSU campus for two years after passing out stacks of cash to JJ and other players after the Tigers won the National Championship in 2019. For all of these reasons and more, OBJ to the Vikings makes sense.

If you’re worried about locker room chemistry or that Beckham Jr might cause problems off the field, don’t. Because the players currently in that locker room would love to see OBJ wear the purple and gold.

Vikings Players Recruit OBJ on Twitter

How do we know? On Monday night, a few of them were openly courting him on Twitter. It started with (LB) Brian Asamoah, before (CB) Akayleb Evans and (LT) Christian Darrisaw joined in on OBJ’s recruitment.

Can we call it a modern-day version of Ryan Longwell, Steve Hutchinson and Jared Allen flying to Mississippi, to recruit Brett Favre out of retirement? Maybe, maybe not. But you know what they say: ‘comparisons will steal your joy’.

@obj stop playing…

— Brian Asamoah II (@brianasamoah) March 14, 2023

Yooo @obj

— Akayleb Evans (@AkaylebEvans) March 14, 2023

???????? https://t.co/etNzWOHW9d

— Christian Darrisaw (@chrisdarrisaw71) March 14, 2023

How likely is it that OBJ lands in Minnesota?

Odell is said to be asking for $20 million per season, a number he’s unlikely to get in any type of guaranteed contract. So, this process could drag out for a bit. But that could be a good thing for the Vikings because they’re still trying to figure out how much they are buying vs selling for next season.

Currently, Kwesi & Co can’t afford a Snickers bar out of the TCO Performance Center vending machine, let alone a high-priced free agent wide receiver. But could that change by the time OBJ is ready to make his decision? Many players on roster obviously hope so (and so do I).

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan