Dec 29, 2019; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings cornerback Mackensie Alexander (20) picks up his helmet prior to the game against the Chicago Bears at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Harrison Barden-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah doesn’t play on defense in games.
Since Ivan Pace Jr. emerged as a total stud in 2023, Asamoah hit the backburner, serving as a special teams asset — and that only. In 2024, Asamoah has played 13 snaps on defense, and last year, he saw the field just 36 times as a linebacker.
Accordingly, Asamoah could be traded in the next six days. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler tucked Asamoah’s name into a trade speculation article this week with a few others and explained, “Veteran Buffalo safety Mike Edwards is available and would like to go somewhere he can play (he has been a steady inactive). Washington’s Darrick Forrest is in a similar situation, a former starter who’s out of the rotation and could need a fresh start elsewhere. Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah II, a former third-rounder who hasn’t made an impact in Brian Flores’ defense, is a trade candidate, too.”
Sending Asamoah elsewhere for a fresh start makes all the sense in the world for a couple of reasons. First, to reiterate, he doesn’t play on defense. The Vikings rotate off-ball linebackers Blake Cashman, Kamu Grugier-Hill, and the aforementioned Pace on Sundays, leaving Asamoah on the sidelines.
And last year, when former Viking Jordan Hicks battled compartment syndrome and missed a month, Minnesota did everything in its power not to get Asamoah on the field, subbing in Troy Dye and signing Anthony Barr.
In short, Asamoah is evidently not in the Vikings’ plan for the future. If he is, they’ve slow-rolled his development to a snail’s pace.
The other morsel of supporting evidence for an Asamoah trade? Draft capital. Minnesota has very few draft picks next April, retaining just a 1st-Rounder and a couple of 5th-Rounders after trading the junior version of the farm for EDGE rusher Dallas Turner six months ago. While Asamoah won’t fetch much via trade, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could probably recoup a 7th-Round pick for his services. For a team showcasing puny 2025 draft capital, every little bit helps.
Other Vikings players on the trade block? The NFL’s trade rumor mill is never concrete, but men like Patrick Jones II (outside linebacker), Akayleb Evans (cornerback), or Jay Ward (safety) could also receive nibbles on the trade docket.
So far this season, Adofo-Mensah has acquired running back Cam Akers from the Houston Texans and offensive tackle Cam Robinson of the Jacksonville Jaguars. He’s not afraid to move and shake in the weeks preceding the trade deadline.
Asamoah will turn 25 in March.
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.