Brian Asamoah Instantly Finds New Team
Brian Asamoah wasn’t unemployed for long after the Minnesota Vikings cut ties this week.
Former Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah has quickly found a new NFL spot, landing with another team just hours after his release from the Minnesota Vikings.
The fourth-year linebacker hit waivers, and according to multiple reports, the Tennessee Titans will take the plunge on his second act.
Asamoah will try on the AFC for size.
Ex-Vikings Linebacker Lasts Just Hours on Waiver Wire
Asamoah will get a change of scenery — immediately.
Titans Plan to Claim Brian Asamoah
It’s a done deal for Asamoah and the Titans. TennesseeTitans.com‘s Jim Wyatt announced: “The Titans have been awarded linebacker Brian Asamoah II off waivers. The team waived linebacker Otis Reese. Asamoah (6-0, 226) had been with the Minnesota Vikings since being selected in the third round (66th overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft.”
“In 46 career games with the Vikings, he produced 20 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery on defense, plus an additional 10 tackles and a forced fumble on special teams.”
Asamoah will now resume his summer goal, the same as his Minnesota platter: battling for a 53-man roster spot.
It’s also worth noting that the Titans were first in line on the waiver wire; Asamoah didn’t last long at all.
End of a Mini-Era in Minnesota
Most fans expected Minnesota to drop Asamoah on roster cutdown day: August 26th. The team seldom used him on defense, and this offseason, Minnesota boss Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had onboarded veteran Eric Wilson and rookie Kobe King, writing on the wall that Asamoah’s days were numbered.
But via surprise move, Adofo-Mensah waived Asamoah two weeks early, allowing him to latch on elsewhere before the logjam on August 26th.
Our Janik Eckardt noted on the Asamoah waiver, “The early release provides Asamoah a nice head start with his next team. Someone will surely pick up the former third-rounder based on his skills on special teams or his draft pedigree.”
“By cutting him now, way ahead of the cutdown day on August 26, the linebacker has a couple of extra weeks to learn the playbook of his new team and even audition for a roster spot in practice and a couple of preseason contests.”
Eckardt nailed it.
The Titans’ New Off-Ball LB Group
Asamoah will join another former Viking, linebacker Blake Lynch, whom the Titans signed earlier this week. Here’s Tennessee’s LB corps ahead of the club’s second preseason game this weekend:
- Cody Barton
- James Williams Sr.
- Cedric Gray
- Brian Asamoah
- Oluwafemi Oladejo
- Jaylen Harrell
- Curtis Jacobs
- Khaleke Hudson
- Blake Lynch
By most accounts, that is one of the NFL’s weakest units comparatively, so it’s almost no wonder that Tennessee’s brass would give Asamoah a look.
Vikings Sign Max Tooley
Minnesota signed two linebackers the day after Asamoah’s exodus: OLB Cam Gill and ILB Max Tooley. Per a roster spot, Tooley will directly replace Asamoah, at least until roster deadline day, and Gill is more EDGE depth.
Tooley became a Viking last September on the practice squad, signed a futures deal in January, got waived two weeks later, and now he’s back.
Tooley was an undrafted free agent last year from BYU.
Titans-Themed Media on the Move
From a Titans perspective, SI.com‘s Jeremy Brener wrote about the Asamoah addition: “The Tennessee Titans are making a change to the roster, according to ESPN insider Jeremy Fowler. The move comes after the Titans made some other changes to their linebacker room earlier in the week.”
“The team said goodbye to Anfernee Orji and David Gbenda while adding Khaleke Hudson and Blake Lynch to their active roster. The Titans don’t have much depth at the linebacker position with Cody Barton as the only player guaranteed a starting spot on defense. James Williams Sr. is currently in the lead for the second starting spot while Cedric Gray and Otis Reese IV compete for the job as well.”
Asamoah is still just 25 years old.
“Adding Asamoah will add some more competition in training camp, but he comes to the team after being unexpectedly cut following a disciplinary issue with the Vikings. Earlier this month, Asamoah punched offensive lineman Will Fries during a practice,” Brener added.
“Asamoah likely won’t be available when the Titans face off against the Atlanta Falcons in their preseason matchup on Friday at 6 p.m. CT.”
Minnesota and Tennessee will square off on Friday, August 22, in the summer’s final preseason game, an ironic and poetic twist for Asamoah.
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