After running back Kene Nwangwu had a really good preseason, including a 48-yard touchdown run against the Las Vegas Raiders, the Minnesota Vikings have decided to move on from him. They will be waiving or trading Nwangwu on Tuesday ahead of final cuts and he will not be on the 53-man roster, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero.
The #Vikings are moving on from RB/KR Kene Nwangwu, per source. He'll be cut or traded by today's deadline.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 27, 2024
This comes as a somewhat big surprise for the Vikings who don't have a lot of running back depth to begin with after the top two players. He was also a former second team-all pro kick returner.
That element initially had me believing that Nwangwu wasn't going to make the team due to the change in the kickoff rule. It was going to be more of a wide zone run, something Nwangwu had struggled with in the past. After how well he played in the backfield, I thought he was going to be the third running back.
That, however, wasn't enough. ESPN's Kevin Seifert mentioned that Nwangwu wasn't getting many kick return opportunities despite being a former All-Pro.
The Vikings are now down to three running backs and will be scouring the waiver wire to find one.
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