Vikings Waive 2 Players

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The Minnesota Vikings re-signed offensive lineman Matthew Cindric on Wednesday, an undrafted free agent who was a part of the club in May but departed to make room for Dalton Risner.

Vikings Waive 2 Players

Cindric hopes to earn a 53-man roster or a practice squad assignment.

And to make room for Cindric, Minnesota waived two players. The roster exits should be caveated with the possibility that one or both could return to the roster or practice squad sometime in 2024.

NaJee Thompson (CB | ST)

Thompson didn’t play much defense as a rookie — he was on the field for one single defensive snap during the regular season — but experienced extensive action on special teams, enough to gain respect from the masses as a fan favorite.

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Then, training camp arrived this summer, and Thompson hit the shelf with a knee injury.

Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels said about Thompson last summer, “It’s funny, I’ve been watching this player for quite some time now, and he lives and breathes special teams. That’s who he is at the core, and for him to finally be able to carry it over from what I saw on tape from the collegiate level to putting it on display on Thursday night only solidifies who he is as a person – the bright lights aren’t too big for him.”

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.

With changes to the NFL’s kickoff return rule, Thompson’s importance on special teams might’ve diminished. Fans should still expect an eventual practice squad fate for Thompson, or at least the possibility shouldn’t be ruled out.

Jeremy Flax (LT)

Flax became a Viking via undrafted free agency in April, a member of this class:

  • Matt Cindric (OL)
  • K.J. Cloyd (LB)
  • Jeremy Flax (OL)
  • Dallas Gant (LB)
  • Devron Harper (WR)
  • Ty James (WR)
  • Jeshaun Jones (WR)
  • Trey Knox (TE)
  • Tyler Manoa (DL)
  • Donovan Manuel (LB)
  • Dwight McGlothern (CB)
  • Gabriel Murphy (OLB)
  • Doug Nester (OL)
  • Owen Porter (OLB)
  • Bo Richter (OLB)
  • Spencer Rolland (OL)
  • Taki Taimani (DL)
Kentucky Wildcats offensive lineman Jeremy Flax (77) looks up at the stands as he walks off the field after the Cats fall to Tennessee 33-27 Saturday night in Lexington. Kentucky is now 5-3 for the season. Oct. 28, 2023. © Matt Stone/Louisville Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK.

Listed as an LT3 on the team’s first unofficial depth chart, Flax would probably never make the 53-man roster in 2024 with Christian Darrisaw and Walter Rouse in front of him, but a practice squad fate was in reach. Now, he must wait and see if the Vikings call him back.

Until Wednesday, Flax was the Vikings’ heaviest player at 343 pounds, a mountain of a man who played collegiate ball at Kentucky.

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports.

Flax notably suplexed a teammate in college in a rather popular video that circulated the internet earlier this year.


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.