Vikings LB Brian Asamoah has successful surgery: What's his 2024 outlook?

Asamoah was listed on the Vikings' injury report with an ankle injury for a few weeks in the middle of the season, but this is apparently unrelated to that. According to KSTP's Darren Wolfson, this has to do with fixing a shoulder injury that bothered Asamoah all season long.

"He was on the injury report with a shoulder issue going back to training camp," Wolfson said on SKOR North this week. "My understanding is he was battling something the entire year. ... We now know why it was such a difficult year. He got hurt early and he never recovered. So this surgery this week was to fix that problem that started back in training camp."

The 66th overall pick out of Oklahoma in 2022, Asamoah was seen as a potential breakout candidate coming into this season. On paper, the release of Eric Kendricks carved a path to consistent playing time for Asamoah, who flashed his upside when he forced and recovered a fumble against Giants TE Daniel Bellinger in Week 16 of his rookie year.

Things didn't play out that way. He was quickly surpassed on the linebacker depth chart by undrafted rookie sensation Ivan Pace Jr., who was a key player for the Vikings' defense all year. Meanwhile, Asamoah played just 36 defensive snaps after seeing 121 as a rookie. It would make plenty of sense if he just wasn't right health-wise all year, like Wolfson reported.

Could 2024 be Asamoah's year? Maybe. Jordan Hicks is a free agent, so if he doesn't return, Asamoah could have a chance to compete for the LB2 role behind Pace. It'll all depend on how optimistic the coaches are about his abilities when healthy — and what the front office does to address that position this offseason.