The Super Bowl Dream Is Dead for a Former Viking
The Minnesota Vikings have one big goal: Winning the first Super Bowl in franchise history. Last season’s team seemed to be in contention until the final two games of the season exposed some fatal flaws that allowed the Lions and then the Rams to move into the divisional round by defeating the purple team.
The Super Bowl Dream Is Dead for a Former Viking
The final whistle against the Rams ended the Super Bowl dream for the entire Vikings roster, the coaching staff, and the fanbase, at least for that season.
One guy, however, used his chance and bolted for the Philadelphia Eagles. As Philadelphia advanced in the postseason, they could add practice squad players from eliminated organizations. Tight end Nick Muse joined the Eagles’ practice squad, keeping his Super Bowl dream alive.
On Thursday, however, Muse was released in favor of depth running back Lew Nichols, the Eagles announced: “We have opened the practice windows for TE CJ Uzomah and DE Brandon Graham, signed RB Lew Nichols to the Practice Squad, and released TE Nick Muse from the Practice Squad.”
With CJ Uzomah’s return to practice, the tight end depth got a significant boost, and Muse was the odd man out. An appearance in the Super Bowl was unlikely, but the move has ultimately closed the door.
Muse arrived in the Twin Cities via the 2022 draft, a draft class that has given general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah severe headaches over the years. Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth couldn’t be the envisioned upgrades in the secondary, and their tenures with the Vikings ended last August.
Right guard Ed Ingram was benched halfway through his third campaign, and his future with the club is in serious jeopardy. Linebacker Brian Asamoah is exclusively a special teams player, and Akayleb Evans was waived a couple of months ago.
On day three of the draft, Adofo-Mensah acquired some offensive talent. Jalen Nailor and Ty Chandler still contribute. Tight end Muse, the last pick of Minnesota’s draft, remained with the franchise until the very last game of the season.
While most other practice squad players signed futures contracts, Muse waited and got a paycheck from the Eagles. He can now do the same thing and sign a futures deal, perhaps even with the Vikings.
In three seasons with the Vikings, Muse appeared in 16 games (four in 2024) and caught one pass for 22 yards on 19 offensive and 184 special teams snaps. The former South Carolina pass-catcher was a preseason fixture in Minnesota, tabulating 15 receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown.
At tight end, the Vikings have only T.J. Hockenson and blocker Josh Oliver under contract for the upcoming season. Johnny Mundt hasn’t gotten a contract extension yet, so Muse might be an option for the TE3 job.
Muse is 26 years old.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt