Minnesota Vikings waive promising young defensive end

In a somewhat surprising move, the Minnesota Vikings have waived defensive end Tashawn Bower, who was on the team’s non-football injury list.

The Minnesota Vikings seemed to have found a diamond in the rough when the team signed former LSU defensive end Tashawn Bower as an undrafted free agent following the 2017 NFL Draft.

The 24-year-old pass rusher played in seven games for the Vikings over two seasons, registering seven tackles and one sack with two tackles for a loss. He seemed like he was on the verge of a breakout season, but then an injury hurt his chances.

Bower suffered a torn Achilles tendon before the start of the 2019 NFL season during a workout away from the team. Now, with the return of Ifeadi Odenigbo and excellent play of Stephen Weatherly, the competition at the defensive end position is tougher than ever.

Sadly, it seems as though Bower’s time with the team is over, as the team has waived him according to the official Twitter account of the Minnesota Vikings.

Now, Bower will enter be eligible to be claimed by any other NFL team. If he goes unclaimed, he will become an unrestricted free agent and will be able to sign with any team he desires that offers him a contract.

Bower had flashed several times in preseason and was reportedly optimistic about his chances of returning to the purple and gold to contribute this season. There is a hope that if he clears waivers that he could return to Minnesota’s practice squad, but those rules are complicated and it’s hard to know if he is eligible.

Still, The Viking Age would like to wish Tashawn Bower nothing but the best in his future endeavors. Since Bower was on the non-football injury list, waiving him does not open up a spot on the team’s 53-man roster.