Vikings Rising Star Hampered by Injury……..

Before the start of the 2023 season, Minnesota Vikings linebacker Brian Asamoah II was considered a breakout candidate after a promising rookie season.

But as the dog days of training camp wore on, Asamoah was supplanted by undrafted rookie Ivan Pace Jr. Credit to Pace, who was one of the top rookie defenders this season, but Asamoah losing his spot to an undrafted rookie was another demerit on the 2022 draft class.

However, according to KSTP’s Darren Wolfson, Asamoah was dealing with a shoulder injury as far back as training camp, which hampered his second season.

Asamoah II announced on social media that he underwent successful surgery on January 17. “Can’t wait to attack this rehab and get back to work,” he posted on X (formerly Twitter).

“He was on the injury report with a shoulder issue going back to training camp,” Wolfson said on SKOR North’s “Mackey and Judd” podcast on January 18. “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.”

Vikings Likely to Retread Brian Asamoah Starter Chatter in 2024

GettyLinebacker Brian Asamoah II of the Minnesota Vikings participates in warmups prior to a game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on January 1, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Selected in the third round of the 2022 draft, Asamoah was threatening to take a starting spot late in his rookie year after injecting a stagnant Vikings defense with a dose of explosiveness.

However, his 46 defensive snaps last season were a disappointment, but that doesn’t mean he is a lost cause.

Asamoah has shown a high football IQ when on the field in the league to go along with his blazing speed. He tested in the 86th percentile of linebackers with a 4.56 40-time at the 2022 combine, per Mockdraftable.

The Vikings will likely look to pair Asamoah and Pace together next season with veteran Jordan Hicks an impending free agent this offseason.