Burly Former Vikings Defender Travels South with New Contract

Linebacker Sione Takitaki was in the Twin Cities last season, mostly serving in a depth role. The tackler played in just a trio of games for Minnesota, spending the rest of his time on the practice squad.

He’s now joining some former Vikings in Houston.

The news arrives courtesy of Aaron Wilson of KPRC2: “New #Texans linebacker Sione Takitaki arrived in town today after agreeing to terms Saturday following successful workout.” Getting grafted into the Texans’ front seven means operating in perhaps the most ferocious unit in the NFL. Seeing the 6’1″ and 245-pound ‘backer crack the final roster will mean being able to feast on tackles since the defensive line is so dominant.

Former Vikings Defender Sione Takitaki is in a Good Spot

Right now, the Vikings are pretty loaded at linebacker.

When healthy, Blake Cashman is a great LB1. Not elite, but very good. He’s somebody who can cover, blitz, and erase runners. Most teams would be well served by having a ‘backer as smart and competitive as Mr. Cashman. Only injury slows him down. When his body allows, he’s a difference maker.

Next up are a combination of Eric Wilson, Jake Golday, and Ivan Pace Jr. There’s a good chance that those three end up being the LB2, LB3, and LB4 for the duration of the 2026 season, provided health cooperates. After those three, there are some standard depth pieces looking to surprise people.

Last year, the Vikings had a pretty similar linebacker setup. What was missing was full health for Cashman and the presence of Golday. Part of the fix could be found in Takitaki.

The 3rd-Round selection spent most of the season on the practice squad. Doing so gave the Vikings some peace of mind since he could get called up at a moment’s notice if a veteran was needed. Minnesota did burn up the three freebie elevations from the practice squad but didn’t give him a full contract for the 53-man roster.

The final tally shows that Takitaki offered the Vikings 3 tackles. He played 45 snaps on specials but none on defense.

Originally, the linebacker got into the NFL in the 2019 NFL Draft. He did so as a Brown, a spot where he stayed until 2023. Since then, the linebacker has put in time with the Patriots and Vikings before getting his latest gig with the Texans.

Houston operates in the AFC. Minnesota, obviously, is in the NFC. The teams aren’t scheduled to play each other in the upcoming season but could meet in the Super Bowl, though the odds of the Vikings holding up their end of the bargain appear exceedingly small.

Other former Vikings players to pickup work with the Texans are edge rusher Danielle Hunter and right guard Ed Ingram.

Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.