Vikings Shockingly Show a Rookie the Door
Ahead of Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Minnesota Vikings welcomed running back Aaron Jones back to the 53-man roster. He had been placed on IR following a Week 2 hamstring injury and missed his mandatory four games.
Vikings Shockingly Show a Rookie the Door
To make room for the runner, the Vikings had to get rid of one of the 53 players. Surprisingly, they said goodbye to rookie linebacker Kobe King, the team announced Thursday afternoon.
“To make room on the roster, the Vikings waived rookie linebacker Kobe King, who has played 77 snaps on special teams and three snaps on defense across five games,” the Vikings wrote on the official team website.
King was drafted in April out of Penn State. The 6th rounder, or 201st overall pick, appeared in the first five games of the season, logging a total of 77 snaps on special teams and three on defense. The three plays on defense all came in the Week 3 blowout win against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Last week, King was surprisingly inactive against the Philadelphia Eagles. That was Blake Cashman’s return to the team from his four-game stint on IR. Cashman joined new starter Eric Wilson and benched starter Ivan Pace Jr., as well as undrafted rookie Austin Keys.
It turns out the Vikings just found a better rookie linebacker right after the draft in Keys. Of course, whenever a draft pick is axed, there is some concern about the GM’s drafting ability. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s track record has been reason for concern, no doubt, but a sixth-rounder getting waived does not meet the threshold for a significant uproar. Frequently, late-round draft picks do not qualify for 53-man rosters.
Still, King’s development is a little disappointing because the GM vouched for the defender right after the draft. His initial praise created some buzz.
“Kobe King, linebacker from Penn State: Really excited to add him. A lot of times in football, we make it harder than it is, but it’s a meat-and-potatoes game in some positions, and linebacker is one of them. You need somebody to tackle the person trying to advance the ball up the field against your team, whether that be special teams with the ball in his hands or defending the pass and he’s somebody that plays with range, tackles, is a really physical knockback-impact tackler.”
King collected 200 tackles in his college career, with 97 of those coming in 2024 alone. He also secured three sacks and nine tackles for loss that year.
The young executive added a nice wrinkle at the end, “We’re excited to add him not just to our fourth-down units but also potentially to be a starter one day in this league. Great communicator, was able to move people around in the Penn State defense, a great defense in its own right.”
He contributed to special teams, but his two penalties didn’t help him stick around. The starter part doesn’t seem to be in the cards at this point, though he is still only 22, and crazier things have happened.
There’s a good chance the Vikings try to re-sign King to the practice squad. The other 2025 draft picks are still on the roster. Tight end Gavin Bartholomew has yet to make his NFL debut. A back injury has put his status in jeopardy.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.