In his first appearance in a Minnesota Vikings uniform, cornerback Najee Thompson made his presence felt.
“How to make an NFL roster in seven seconds,” Brett Kollmann wrote in a post on X, sharing a highlight of Thompson snaring a Seattle Seahawks punt return at the catch that garnered over six million views in the first preseason game of his career.
It was the first of several pops Thompson made as a gunner on punt team as an undrafted rookie out of Georgia Southern in 2023.
He was becoming a special teams menace before injury got in the way.
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After spending all last year on injured reserve with a knee injury, Thompson failed a team physical and was waived from the team on April 23.
Thompson had made several posts on social media in reaction to his release, however, he made the departure from Minnesota official on June 6, as it appears he is on to “new beginnings.”
In a post on his Instagram story, Thompson bid the state of Minnesota in a heartfelt message.
“It’s surreal. Thank you all for making the first part of my dream something. I’ll never forget and very grateful to have the opportunity here,” he wrote. “But so long, Minnesota. Officially outta here and to the cold weather you will be the only thing not missed but on to new beginnings.”
Thompson played 15 games in his only active season with the Vikings, tallying 195 special teams snaps.
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Vikings Must Replace Tone-Setting Najee Thompson on Special Teams
It’s rare for players with NFL aspirations to limit themselves to special teams, but Thompson knew that, if he was going to make it to the next level, it would be on special teams.
“I told a lot of kids when I was in college that I’m going to go play in the league because of special teams,” Thompson told the Pioneer Press in 2023. “Just kept working at it over and over. I never played a true position. If they needed me on offense, I played offense. If they needed me on defense, I played defense.”
That type of selflessness is rare in a young player, but the Vikings must move on and find another explosive disruptor on special teams.
For years, it was Kris Boyd, who also possessed breakneck speed and proved to be a special-teams ace. Thompson seemed to have that role locked down, but the Vikings were prepared if his health did not improve.
Vikings Land Former Buccaneers Special Teams Ace Tavierre Thomas
In March, the Vikings signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers special teams ace Tavierre Thomas.
Thomas has ample playing experience on defense (1,668 career snaps) and has been a consistent special teams player throughout his seven-year career.
He blocked three kicks in his lone season with the Buccaneers last year, earning a 90.5 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade for special teams that was tied for fifth-best among 238 players who played at least 200 snaps in the third phase.
Thomas should fill the void left by Thompson and also projects as a backup slot corner.
