The Minnesota Vikings released outside linebacker Curtis Weaver to make room for incoming veteran quarterback Jordan Ta’amu, who was officially signed on Monday, August 21.
An athletic gunslinger from Ole Miss, Ta’amu was signed by the Houston Texans after going undrafted in 2019. After not making the final roster his rookie season, Ta’amu has made stops with Kansas City Chiefs, Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers before joining the XFL’s D.C. Defenders.
Ta’amu was named the XFL’s Offensive Player of the Year, leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns. He completed 62% of his passes for 1,894 yards, 14 touchdowns and three interceptions while also rushing for 298 yards and three TDs. He led the Defenders to a 9-1 season en route to the championship game, where they lost 35-26 to the Arlington Renegades on May 13.
The XFL announced Ta’amu’s signing on Friday, while the Vikings evaluated the roster in its preseason matchup with the Tennessee Titans over the weekend.
Weaver was a 2020 fifth-round pick by Miami Dolphins and spent the past two seasons with the Cleveland Browns, appearing in one game for Cleveland.
Vikings Backup QB Battle Settled Upon Jordan Ta’amu’s Arrival
Ta’amu’s arrival to Vikings training camp signals the end of the backup quarterback battle at training camp.
Nick Mullens appears poised to be rested for the Vikings’ final preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday. In two preseason games, Mullens completed 27-of-43 passes at a 62.8% clip for one touchdown and a 90.3 passer rating.
Rookie Jaren Hall will likely get the start and dominate a majority of the snaps with Ta’amu only having a week to learn the playbook. However, he could still put on a show.
Ta’amu came out of the 2019 draft posting a 4.77 40-time and is coming off his OPOY performance in the XFL. Although improvising as a fourth-string quarterback isn’t going to win you any jobs in the NFL, he has the tools to make plays if the pocket breaks down.
Vikings QB Jaren Hall Could Be Saved With New NFL Rule
Following a mixed performance against the Titans on Saturday, Hall was deemed a potential roster cut candidate by Pioneer Press reporter Dane Mizutani.
“He just looks so green. I feel almost bad for him because I don’t think he’s there yet. He has a little arm talent. But he’s a guy, I think you could honestly cut and [stow] him onto your practice squad pretty easily,” Mizutani said August 19 on the “Purple Insider” podcast.
Through two preseason games, Hall has completed 10-of-22 pass attempts for a 47.6% completion rate and a 58.8 passer rating. He’s shown flashes of competent play but also has struggled to stay upright in the pocket, giving up three sacks on 26 dropbacks.
If Hall is relegated to the practice squad, the amount of reps he would see would be significantly lower compared to having a spot on the 53-man roster.
The NFL passed a new rule in the offseason that allows teams to carry a third quarterback in an inactive slot on the roster that does not count against the 53-man threshold.
The new rule could benefit Hall and allow him to have more exposure in practice.
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