Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The Vikings news has been dominated by the brutal update from Kevin O’Connell that J.J. McCarthy will need surgery on his torn meniscus.
The cruel reality of the NFL, though, is that things just keep moving along. Minnesota needs to continue moving forward even as their promising rookie passer faces an uncertain recovery timeline. To that end, Minnesota has announced that they’ve added linebacker Jordan Kunaszyk as a replacement for the injured Jabril Cox, who has been waived.
In all likelihood, the addition is about beefing up the depth for what’s left of the offseason.
At the top of the linebacker depth chart are Ivan Pace Jr. and Blake Cashman. Neither are going anywhere. The LB1 and LB2 promise to form an upside tandem, offering some aggressiveness and (ideally) some strong abilities in pass coverage.
Rounding out the remainder of the LB room are Brian Asamoah, Kamu Grugier-Hill, and Dallas Gant (an UDFA add). Asamoah is fast and physical, so it won’t be surprising if he spends the 2024 season as the LB3 in Minnesota, someone who has a hearty workload on specials and who also forces his way onto the field for Coach Flores.
Oh, and keep an eye on Gant. He snagged 3 tackles on defense and 1 on special teams in the Raiders tilt. He even tossed on a tackle for a loss.
The new addition — Jordan Kunaszyk — steps into a bit of a crowded situation. As Minnesota’s website notes, the linebacker has spent time as a Panther, Commander, and Brown since first getting into the NFL. It’s at least somewhat notable that his most recent team — Cleveland — is Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s former employer. And, coincidentally, the team that’s on the docket this week for joint practices and a preseason game.
The Vikings’ website gives a bit more background: “Kunaszyk originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2019, appearing in nine games for the Panthers during his rookie season. He saw action in 17 matchups in two seasons with Washington and played in 20 contests, including two starts, during the past two seasons in Cleveland.”
And his production: “In his career, Kunaszyk has played in 46 games (two starts) and recorded 45 total tackles, including two for loss, one pass defensed and one forced fumble.”
Last year, Kunaszyk snagged 56 snaps on defense and 125 on special teams. The year prior involved 101 defensive snaps to stand alongside 317 special teams snaps. So, if he’s going to overcome the odds and stick around in Minnesota, then it will be because of some special teams excellence.
Later on today, Minnesota and Cleveland will participate in the first of two joints practices. On Saturday, the Browns and Vikings will play a preseason game. O’Connell will try to keep the good times rolling by climbing to 2-0, but the greater concern on everyone’s mind is to step away from the game at full health.
Kickoff is scheduled for 3:25 CT.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter and as a co-host for Notes from the North, a humble Vikings podcast.