Brian Asamoah, a once-promising former Minnesota Vikings linebacker, will turn into those types of defenders who bounce around the league looking for work. The Las Vegas Raiders cut ties with Asamoah this week, his third roster cut in the last three months.
The Las Vegas Raiders undertook some roster clean-up on Tuesday, and one move kicked a former Minnesota Vikings defender off the roster.
Minnesota found Asamoah in Round 3 of the 2022 NFL Draft, and the man may not have staying power in the pros.
Raiders Say Goodbye to Ex-Vikings LB Brian Asamoah
Another setback for the Oklahoma alumnus.
Asamoah Gets Marching Orders from LV
Asamoah didn’t last long in the AFC West. NFL analyst Austin Boyd wrote Tuesday, “There was some expectation that the Las Vegas Raiders could have an eventful bye week, but the team was relatively quiet. The most notable thing they did was sign former Pro Bowl wide receiver Tyler Lockett. However, they aren’t done tinkering with the roster.”
“Ahead of their Week 9 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Raiders decided to part ways with linebacker Brian Asamoah. Asamoah has been on the practice squad all season and hasn’t been able to get on the field. He first came into the NFL as a third-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in 2022, but has never started a game.”
The 25-year-old will now be free to audition for another club as early as now.
Vikings to Titans to Raiders
Asamoah spent three seasons in Minnesota, mostly in reserve capacity. Most fans projected him as a roster cut last summer, and in mid-August, that prediction came true. The young linebacker then latched onto the Tennessee Titans roster, a relationship that didn’t last long. So, he tried the Raiders on for size and is the odd man out once again.
Like his 2022 draft classmate, his career is beginning to emulate Lewis Cine’s.
Asamoah in Minnesota
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah plucked Asamoah out of the middle of the infamous 2022 NFL Draft — a class now remembered for utter disappointment. At the time, fans viewed Asamoah as a possible breakout waiting to happen.
He was fast, vocal, twitchy — the kind of linebacker who looked like he could redefine Minnesota’s second level. And for a brief stretch in his rookie season, he did. There were flashes — the sort that make a fanbase start penciling in a guy as a future starter.
The Vikings won 13 games that year, a fever dream of narrow victories and overachievement before reality reasserted itself in the postseason. But through that run, Asamoah looked like part of the future.
Then, overnight, that prognosis disappeared.
When Brian Flores arrived in 2023, Asamoah’s name began fading from defensive rotation. Whatever excitement surrounded him evaporated into special teams snaps — plenty of hustle, but no meaningful defensive reps.
Whenever injuries hit, Minnesota would find anyone else to plug in. It was strange. Flores always seemed to have another name ready, a linebacker who wasn’t Asamoah. When veteran Jordan Hicks went down that year, Adofo-Mensah brought back Anthony Barr, a ghost from the Mike Zimmer era, rather than promoting the young, athletic linebacker who was supposed to be next in line.
By the summer of 2025, the writing was on the wall. About ten days before final roster cuts, Minnesota finally ended the experiment, parting ways with Asamoah in an unceremonious transaction that barely rippled the news cycle. Just like that — a once-hyped third-rounder was gone for good.
Raiders LB without Asamoah
With Asamoah gone, Las Vegas will rely on these off-ball linebackers:
- Devin White
- Elandon Roberts
- Cody Lindenberg
- Tommy Eichenberg
- Jamin Davis (Practice Squad)
Las Vegas also notably cut ties with veteran linebacker Germaine Pratt earlier this month.
ESPN on the Raiders the Rest of the Way
Exiting a bye week, ESPN’s Ryan McFadden wrote about Las Vegas, “Pete Carroll might’ve underestimated the challenge of rebuilding the Raiders, who have finished with a losing record in seven of the past 10 seasons. But the structure of the roster always suggested that it wouldn’t be easy.”
“With the Raiders relying on young players at key positions, some of whom haven’t developed as quickly as anticipated, it was evident that the ship would tilt if major contributors had to miss time. Las Vegas’ schedule doesn’t offer much room for optimism. It still has to face the Denver Broncos twice, a high-powered Dallas Cowboys offense and the defending champs, Philadelphia Eagles.”
The Raiders have a 1.4% of reaching the playoffs, according to FTN Fantasy‘s DVOA metric.
“Still, the Raiders have maintained hope. The odds are stacked against them, but the group hasn’t lost chemistry and continues to trust the process. In the Super Bowl era, there have been 46 teams to start at 2-5 and finish the season with a .500 record or better. Most recently, the 2023 Green Bay Packers went 9-8 and made it to the postseason,” McFadden added.
“Whether the Raiders find greener pastures via a mid-season turnaround or next season, they still believe in Carroll’s plan with the franchise.”
Asamoah will turn 26 next offseason.
