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Four days after St. Patrick’s Day, the Minnesota Vikings parted ways with a very Irish-sounding wide receiver.
That’s Thomas Hennigan, and the team made the waiver official Tuesday by tweeting, “WR Thomas Hennigan has been waived.”
Indeed, the Hennigan era in Minnesota is kaput after one season. Hennigan, 24, joined the Vikings on April 30th, 2022, via undrafted free agency, a class that also included Luiji Vilain (OLB), who later made the 53-man roster.
The Appalachian State alumnus impressed in college, tallying 242 receptions for 3,124 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns in five years. Hennigan was also an experienced special teams contributor, so if he were going to make the Vikings active roster at any time, that would’ve been the likely reason. Hennigan also set an FBS record of 65 games started as a Mountaineer.
The Hennigan departure arrives on the same day as a reunion, too. The Vikings re-signed 2022 defensive tackle Jonathan Bullard, a surprise transaction because general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah grabbed ex-Green Bay Packers DT Dean Lowry in free agency four days ago. Bullard started seven games in 2022, and he’ll now presumably duke it out this summer for starting a job with Lowry.
Hennigan, a 6’1″ 210-pounder, is still young enough to catch on elsewhere around the league, especially with the special teams toolkit. Too, he could be back with the Vikings heading into the summer when the roster expands to 90 players.
This is the Vikings WR room following Hennigan’s waiver:
That group will grow significantly in the next three months, and if the Vikings don’t sign another free agent like Odell Beckham, D.J. Chark, or Mecole Hardman, an early-round WR from the 2023 NFL Draft is probably on the menu. It is unclear if the club trusts Osborn or Nailor for true-blue WR2 duty.
Hennigan said at his Pro Day last year, “I’m confident in my abilities when I go out there because I know I’m not going to be outworked, and while things may not go our way or go my way especially, I know I’m never going to stop working and definitely not quitting. That’s just kind of been my DNA, and that’s what I told the guys. If you give me a chance to be on your football team, I’m going to be a guy that’s very hard to let go.”
One wide receiver from Appalachian State has lasted longer than 10 games in the NFL — Brian Quick from 2012 to 2018 with the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Commanders.
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,’ and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.