Minnesota Vikings Say Goodbye to Standout Rookie UDFA

Nov 26, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; Air Force Falcons linebacker Bo Richter (8d) reacts after a play against the San Diego State Aztecs during the second half at Snapdragon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings are currently in the process of trimming their roster down to 53 players.

Minnesota and the rest of the NFL have until 4 PM Eastern to cut their rosters down from 90 players to 53, meaning we are just a couple hours away from hundreds of players hitting free agency and the waiver wire.

The latest cut from the Vikings may come as a surprise to many as the team has decided to say goodbye to a standout UDFA pass rusher: Bo Richter.

Minnesota Vikings Say Goodbye to Standout UDFA

Minnesota Vikings
Oct 14, 2023; Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA; Air Force Falcons linebacker Bo Richter (8) reacts after a play in the fourth quarter against the Wyoming Cowboys at Falcon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports.

The news was reported by Aaron Wilson on Tuesday morning, who tweeted, “Air Force OLB Bo Richter released by #Vikings per a league source.”

Richter played three seasons at Air Force from 2021-2023, but he didn’t truly emerge as a starter until the 2023 campaign. The pass rusher burst onto the scene during that 2023 season though. Over 13 games, he put together 45 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, and three forced fumbles.

Despite this success, Richter did not garner a draft pick in April, thus allowing the Vikings to sign him as an undrafted free agent.

Minnesota Vikings
Nov 18, 2023; Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA; UNLV Rebels quarterback Jayden Maiava (1) is sacked by Air Force Falcons linebacker Bo Richter (8) in the third quarter at Falcon Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports.

Richter spent training camp and the preseason proving that he could contribute to an NFL team, putting together a pair of sacks over the three preseason games he played in for the Vikings.

Even with the strong performances, it wasn’t enough for Richter to garner a spot on the final 53-man roster, and it isn’t entirely shocking. The Vikings spent the offseason completely revamping their group of edge rushers this spring, signing a trio of Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Jihad Ward in free agency while also selecting Dallas Turner in the first round of the draft.

Aug 24, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Vikings linebacker Bo Richter (98) attempts to intercept the ball during the third quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-USA TODAY Sports

Ultimately, Richter very well could be a player to land on the practice squad if he were to clear waivers. Richter is just the latest recent standout UDFA to be released as Andre Carter was also waived earlier on Tuesday.

To see a full list of Vikings cuts, click here.


Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Sports Reference CFB and ESPN.

Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To ... More about Josh Frey