Former Vikings Pass Rusher Gets Signed…And Then Cut 3 Days Later
Ferris Bueller, one of the all-time great movie characters, remarked once that “life moves pretty fast.” Hopefully, Kenny Willekes had a moment to stop and look around (as Mr. Bueller advised).
The former Vikings edge rusher got a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers earlier in the week, joining the AFC North team ahead of the final preseason game. The contract arrived on Tuesday. With the ink barely dry, Pittsburgh opted to move on from the defender on Friday.
Former Vikings Edge Rusher Kenny Willekes a FA Again
Kick it over to Aaron Wilson, who offers the update.
Wilson’s word: “#Steelers release Kenny Willekes, Kam Alexander, Quindell Johnson, Kyler McMichael, Mikey Victor, Doug Nester, Julian Pearl, Logan Woodside, Evan Hull, Kevin Foelsch, Jake McQuaide.” For whatever it’s worth, both of Mr. Nester alongside Mr. McQuaide formerly spent time in the Twin Cities working for the Vikings.
Now, when it comes to Mr. Willekes, it’s important to keep something in mind: he very likely went into his Steelers opportunity with clear eyes.
Put differently, the edge rusher knew that his chances to stick around were slim-to-none. Working in Pittsburgh for just a few days is about getting the chance to earn a few bucks while making a connection with some more NFL coaches. Ideally, Willekes left a strong impression on at least one or two people within Pittsburgh’s building.
Moreover, it’s important to remember that a player’s résumé is whatever gets put on film. Someone like Kenny Willekes is trying to get back into the league, meaning that any chance to beef up the résumé should be welcomed with open arms.
On Thursday, the Steelers played their final preseason game. Aaron Rodgers’ new team stepped away with a 19-10 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Completing the game meant that Pittsburgh could move on from Kenny Willekes.
For whatever it’s worth, Willekes got onto the field for fifteen snaps. PFF gave him a reasonably impressive 67.7 grade.
Most promising is that Willekes got some credit for creating pressure, hurrying the quarterback a pair of times. More concerning is that he got dinged with missing a trio of tackles.
Kenny Willekes, 28, got drafted in 2020 with the No. 225 selection. He offers good size at 6’3″ and 264 pounds, which is to say nothing of his top-tier effort. At the very least, Willekes is good enough to be on an NFL team’s practice squad.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
