Vikings Cut Player — On His Damn Birthday

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He’ll likely be re-signed to the practice squad by the end of the week, but for now, the Minnesota Vikings waived tight end Nick Muse — on his 25th birthday.

Vikings Cut Player — On His Damn Birthday

Muse had just healed from a hand injury and was activated for Week 12’s win at the Chicago Bears.

At least for a while, he’s the odd man out on the Vikings’ 53-man roster. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted, “The Vikings are waiving TE Nick Muse, per source. They’ll sign him back to the practice squad if he clears.”

Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports.

Theoretically, a team that is skinny at tight end because of injury or otherwise — like the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, or Seattle Seahawks — could scoop Muse, and that would be that for his purple career. Stay tuned.

Without Muse, these are the Vikings’ tight ends:

  • T.J. Hockenson
  • Josh Oliver
  • Johnny Mundt
  • Robert Tonyan (Practice Squad)
  • Sammis Reyes (Practice Squad)
Vikings Offseason Plan
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Muse, a South Carolina alumnus, has played in 15 regular season games since entering the NFL as a 7th-Round pick in 2022. He totaled 805 receiving yards in 31 games as a Gamecock from 2019 to 2021. So far in 2024, Muse has played 44 snaps in three games — 35 on special teams and 9 on offense.

The young tight end said during his pursuit of the 53-man roster last summer, “Not many people get to play in the NFL. This is a dream come true for 99 percent of the little kids. I wanted to be how I am right now.”

Nick Muse greets campers onto the field during the 2nd Annual Muse Boys 3rd-9th Grade Football Camp Friday morning, June 23, 2023, on the practice field next to Lineberger Stadium on the campus of South Point High School in Belmont. © Mike Hensdill/The Gaston Gazette / USA TODAY NETWORK.

Muse also took the high road on Monday, making light of his roster waiver. He posted a comedic video to X, formerly known as Twitter, and said, “Look at that. Look at that. You know what they call that? They call that NFL history. How many times do two brothers both get cut on their birthdays? That’s pretty sick to me. I mean, it’s the wrong side of NFL history, but hey, you win some you lose some. I appreciate your birthday messages, and we vibe.”

His brother, Tanner, a linebacker, was cut by the Las Vegas Raiders on September 6th, 2021 — his birthday, mentioned by Nick Muse. Tanner was most recently released by the Jacksonville Jaguars — not on his birthday — about three weeks ago.

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The Vikings next host the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium this Sunday and are favored to prevail by three or four points. Muse might even be back on the practice squad by then.


Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.