Unsung Viking Hits the ‘Griddy’ in Preseason
The Minnesota Vikings jumped out to a 10-0 lead at the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night — about the only notable scoreboard-themed takeaway from the event.
Minnesota ultimately lost at Seattle, 24-13, as the Vikings third-teamers struggled late in the 3rd Quarter and all of the 4th Quarter.
Unsung Viking Hits the ‘Griddy’ in Preseason
Before the temporary preseason downfall, though, one unsung Viking grabbed a magnificent touchdown for the Vikings first paydirt of the preseason — and hit Justin Jefferson’s ‘Griddy’ dance to celebrate.
That was reservist tight end Nick Muse, and here was the score + dance:
The transaction turned out to be the Vikings best of the evening, as doldrums mostly ensued thereafter. QB2 Nick Mullens started the game and looked decent, but at the dawn of the second half and in the 4th Quarter especially, the Vikings operations spiraled — and not in a good way.
After the game, Muse tweeted about his touchdown reception and subsequent dance, “Gotta get back in the lab to perfect the griddy game!! SKOL.”
Stuffed with charisma and personality, Muse is known for antics like Thursday’s Griddy; he did a backflip into a pool upon learning the Vikings drafted him in 2022.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah found Muse in the 7th Round of the 2022 NFL Draft, and the Gamecock lived on the practice squad for some of the 2022 season and experienced some regular season special teams playing time, too. Now, in 2023, he’s vying for a roster spot that will be determined on August 29th when the team shaves the depth chart from 90 players to 53.
SI.com described him as a blocking tight end in the lead-up to the 2022 NFL Draft, “As a blocker, Muse shows very good willingness and consistent competitiveness. His strength is above average, which also helps him fight through contact in his routes.”
Here’s where Muse lived on the first-but-unofficial depth chart released by the Vikings earlier this week:
TE1: T.J. Hockenson
TE2: Josh Oliver
TE3: Johnny Mundt
TE4: Nick Muse
TE5: Ben Sims
TE6: Colin Thompson
He’ll likely need to unseat Mundt for a 53-man roster spot.
Muse is 24 years old. He was teammates with Javon Kinlaw (49ers) and D.J. Wonnum (Vikings) at South Carolina.
The Vikings second preseason game takes place in eight days — at home versus the Tennessee Titans.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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