Vikings Sign Former Texans Player
Some fans wanted linebacker Kwon Alexander, who auditioned for the Minnesota Vikings’ roster this week, but former Houston Texans defender Max Tooley signed on the dotted line instead.
Vikings Sign Former Texans Player
Tooley joins the Vikings’ practice squad and is now just a call-up away from gameday festivities.
The Vikings’ main social media account tweeted Thursday, three days before a meeting with those very Texans: “The Vikings have signed LB Max Tooley to the practice squad.”
Tooley becomes a member of this linebacking corps in Minnesota:
- Ivan Pace Jr.
- Blake Cashman
- Kamu Grugier-Hill
- Brian Asamoah
- Dallas Gant (Practice Squad)
- Max Tooley (Practice Squad)
Tooley joined the NFL five months ago as an undrafted free agent and stuck around in Houston until this week. But Houston dropped him when it signed defensive tackle Tommy Togiai. Now, he’s a Viking.
A teammate of ex-Vikings quarterback Jaren Hall at BYU, Tooley spent six years as a Cougar (2018-2023) and tallied 311 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 8 passes defended, and 7 interceptions in 60 collegiate games. Tooley is 6’2″ and 230 pounds. He also ran a 4.58 forty.
Tolley’s agent, Evan Brennan, said about his client in April, “The biggest thing was his weight increased. A lot of teams had him as really light. So he ran that 40 time at just under 230 pounds. Teams were like, ‘Oh, we knew he could run. … But we didn’t think he could do that at that weight.’ That’s a real helpful thing for Max.”
Through two games, Minnesota’s defense ranks fourth-best in the NFL per EPA/Play and is one of the primary reasons why the club is undefeated entering Week 3. Flores’ defense has tormented Daniel Jones and Brock Purdy in back-to-back weeks, defeating the embattled New York Giants on the road by 22 points and upsetting the Super Bowl runner-up San Francisco 49ers at home as a five-point underdog on Sunday.
The Vikings employ other notable Texans players: linebacker Blake Cashman, corner Shaq Griffin, and EDGE rusher Jonathan Greenard. Houston, meanwhile, will showcase ex-Vikings Danielle Hunter, Stefon Diggs, Kris Boyd, and Cam Akers against Minnesota on Sunday. Case Keenum also works for the Texans but is on injured reserve.
Tooley turned 26 in March, so he’s a very old rookie.
The Texans have never defeated the Vikings despite five attempts since the team’s creation about two decades ago. Houston is favored by two points.
Vikings Could Soon Add Speed
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.
You must be logged in to post a comment.