In a roster move that mostly flew under the radar, last week the Minnesota Vikings signed former BYU star linebacker Sione Takitaki to the team's practice squad. Joining the practice squad means Sione could be called up to the 53-man roster at any time, or he could be directly signed to another team's 53-man roster.
This is a positive development for the veteran linebacker who is looking to continue his solid NFL career.
In four seasons at BYU he recorded 237 tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss, and 13 sacks. During his 2018 senior season he racked up 118 tackles which ranked 31st nationally. After finishing his career in Provo he was a 2019 third round pick by the Cleveland Browns.
In five seasons with the Browns, he appeared in 72 games with 36 starts, amassing 268 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and four sacks. In 2022, he had 71 tackles through 12 games and was chasing a 100-tackle season, but he tore his ACL in Week 13, ending his campaign. He bounced back in 2023 with 65 tackles in 15 games.
In 2024 he signed as a free agent with the New England Patriots but his season with the Pats was derailed by injury. He needed a knee scope before the season and didn't make his debut until Week 6. He suffered a setback shortly thereafter and was then in and out of the Patriots lineup for the remainder of the season. He ultimately appeared in 11 games last year with 21 tackles before being released after the season.
By joining the Vikings practice squad Sione will have the opportunity to show the team that he's healthy and ready to contribute. As 30 years old he still has plenty of gas left in the tank and isn't far removed from his 2022-2023 seasons in which he had 136 tackles in 27 games.
Minnesota has suffered injuries impacting their linebacker depth to players like Andrew Van Ginkel, Austin Keys, and Blake Cashman. The opportunity is there for Sione to make the depth chart.
If Sione Takitaki can prove he's healthy, he has a good shot at making the Vikings 53-man roster and seeing the field sometime this year for this seventh NFL season.