Minnesota Vikings sign another key player from…

admin | December 17, 2023 | Minnesota Vikings | No Comments

Vikings Sign Jordan Ta’amu, Quarterback

Quarterback Jordan Ta’amu was signed by the Vikings on Monday.

Outside linebacker Curtis Weaver was waived by the Vikings to create space on the roster for Ta’amu.

After playing a standout role for the XFL’s D.C. Defenders, Ta’amu is joining Minnesota. On his way to being named the 2023 XFL Offensive Player of the Year, he started 10 games for the Defenders.

Ta’amu led D.C. with 14 touchdowns and 1,894 yards through the air while completing 143 of 229 passes (62.4%) with three interceptions. Along with his passing ability, he ran for 298 yards and three touchdowns on 67 carries.

This season, the XFL’s passing touchdowns and yardage rank was third.

Ta’amu signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent in 2019; however, he has not participated in an NFL regular season game. He has played for the Panthers, Chiefs, Lions, and Commanders.

In his two seasons as a college football player at Mississippi, the native of Hawaii completed 381 of 591 passes (64 percent) for 5,600 yards, 30 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. During those two seasons, Ta’amu ran 173 times for 507 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Signing of the Vikings Jordan Ta’amu, an ex-XFL quarterback
This offseason, Ta’amu is the third member of the D.C. Defenders to sign a contract with the Vikings.

The XFL declared on Friday that former D.C. Defenders quarterback Jordan Ta’amu has signed with the Vikings. He just finished a season in which he was named the offensive player of the year by the league.

A few months ago, the Vikings invited Ta’amu for a workout. Strangely enough, they’re adding him to the roster one day before their second preseason match.

Ta’amu joins running back Abram Smith and wide receiver Lucky Jackson as the third former Defender to sign with the Vikings this offseason. Along with rookie Jaren Hall, Kirk Cousins, and backup Nick Mullens, he joins the Minnesota quarterback room. Ta’amu most likely won’t play in the Vikings’ preseason game against the Titans on Saturday night, but he might see some action in the team’s joint practices with the Cardinals the following week.

The Defenders, captained by 25-year-old Ta’amu of Hawaii, finished 9-1 this spring and advanced to the XFL championship game, where they were defeated 35-26 by the Arlington Renegades. He ran for 298 yards and three touchdowns in addition to completing 62 percent of his passes for 1,894 yards, 14 touchdowns, three interceptions, and four fumbles during the ten-game regular season. With just one touchdown pass in the first five games of the season and multiple touchdown passes in the final seven, including the playoffs, Ta’amu heated up as the season went on. Though he only had three interceptions during the regular season, Ta’amu did manage five in the Defenders’ two postseason games.

XFL announces QB Jordan Ta'amu has signed with Vikings

Ta’amu started his college career at the New Mexico Military Institute, where he spent two seasons after graduating from high school in Pearl City, Hawaii. After that, he moved to Ole Miss, where he started all five of the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Ta’amu completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 5,600 yards, 30 touchdowns, 12 interceptions, 507 rushing yards, and 10 rushing touchdowns in his 19 career games for the Rebels. In 12 of his 17 career starts, he accumulated more than 300 passing yards. He ran for 141 yards and a touchdown in addition to throwing for 387 yards and two touchdowns in a 2018 victory over Arkansas.

Ta’amu, who is 6’3″ and weighs 214 pounds, recorded a 6.68 RAS in 2019 and ran a 4.77 40-yard dash. Ever since going undrafted four years ago, he has embodied the quintessential journeyman in football, having played for five different NFL rosters, the USFL, and the XFL. He hasn’t played in an NFL regular season game. When Ta’amu played for the Tampa Bay Bandits in 2022, he led the USFL in passing yards and touchdowns.