The Minnesota Vikings have thinned their edge defender group even further in the wake of their trade sending Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles, this time apparently moving on from Jordan Botelho.
Botelho is a college free agent, but one who was a source of intrigue.
He has gotten an early taste of the business side of the NFL, and he will now await whatever comes next.
Jordan Botelho Out After Vikings Move On
GettyThe Minnesota Vikings have moved on from Jordan Botelho.
“#Vikings waived Jordan Botelho,” KPRC 2 NFL reporter Aaron Wilson reported in a post on X on May 14.
Botelho was part of the flurry of undrafted free agent signings the Vikings made this year.
He spent an injury-riddled six seasons in college with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The 6-foot-3, 260-pound Botelho finished his career with 97 total tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, and 12.5 sacks.
“It means everything. I’m very thankful. I’m very blessed for this opportunity. I faced many challenges, but you always got to just keep pushing through it. And one day, it will all pay off. And I’m just thankful for this opportunity. Still got a lot of work to do, but I’m just excited for what’s next.
“I’m just excited. I can’t wait to go up there, get some new scenery because I’ve been at Notre Dame so long. But I’m just excited.”
Botelho’s journey with the Vikings may be ending, but his mindset should serve him well.
“I’m going to go in there with the mindset just to compete,” Botelho said of joining the Vikings during his interview with KHON 2 that aired on May 6, adding that he planned to “make the most of my opportunity and just leave everything on the field.”
Botelho appeared in 62 games during his time with the Irish, logging double-digit games played in five of his campaigns in South Bend.
Vikings Continue to Reshape OLB Group
GettyDallas Turner led the Minnesota Vikings in sacks last season.
Botelho was trying to crack a Vikings OLB rotation headlined by 2024 Pro Bowler Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner, who was a first-round draft pick that same season. The group also includes Bo Richter, Chazz Chambliss, Tyler Batty, and several undrafted rookie free agents.
For all of the Vikings’ defensive picks in the 2026 draft, edge rusher was not a targeted position.
The Vikings tied for the fourth-most sacks, had the third-highest pressure rate, and led the league in blitz rate during the 2025 regular season, per Pro Football Reference.
Turner led the way with 8.0 sacks, followed by Van Ginkel, who had 7.0 sacks in an injury-shortened season. Minnesota also got a career-best 6.5 sacks from veteran linebacker Eric Wilson.
Still, the Vikings have parted with three of the top 10 players on the roster in sacks last season.
Still, their decisions to trade Greenard and cut ties with Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen, who signed with the Green Bay Packers and Cincinnati Bengals, respectively, stand out.
The Vikings have retooled their roster on both sides of the ball, looking to rebound from a down season that still saw them win nine games, despite navigating injuries and inconsistency at quarterback.
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