HEADLINES

Kentrell Brothers

NFL Suspends LB Kentrell Brothers

July 17th, 2020 at 4:19pm CST by Zachary Links

The NFL has suspended former Vikings linebacker Kentrell Brothers for the first nine weeks of the 2020 season, a source tells Field Yates of ESPN.com (on Twitter). This marks the second suspension of his career.

[RELATED: Vikings’ Harris To Play On One-Year Deal]

Brothers, who spent the past four seasons with the Vikings, is a free agent. The story behind his latest ban isn’t immediately clear, but it certainly won’t help his case as he looks for work.

Brothers has appeared in 51 games for the Vikings since entering the league as a fifth-round pick. Two years ago, he was hit with a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance enhancing drug policy. Brothers accepted the punishment without appeal, though he said he did not knowingly take a banned substance.

In other Vikings news, safety Anthony Harris is on course for free agency. Now that the franchise tag deadline is in the rear view mirror, Harris will play out the 2020 season on a one-year, $11.4MM deal. The two sides will have to wait until next year before resuming extension talks, at which point he’ll be in line for a sizable raise.

Vikings Activate LB Kentrell Brothers

October 6th, 2018 at 8:55am CST by Ben Levine

Kentrell Brothers is back. The team announced that they’ve activated the linebacker from the exempt list. To make room on the roster, the team waived offensive guard Bryan Witzmann.

Brothers, 25, was handed a four-game suspension back in April for violating the league’s performance enhancing drug policy. The 2016 fifth-round pick accepted the punishment, saying he was unaware that the unnamed substance was banned.

“While it was not my intention to violate any league policies, I understand that it is up to me to be aware of what goes in my body, and I take full responsibility for that,” Brothers said. “I sincerely apologize to the Vikings organization, my teammates and our fans for my mistake. I take my job as a professional seriously and will continue to support my teammates during this time.”

The linebacker was allowed to participate in the Vikings’ entire offseason program, including preseason practices and games.

While Brothers will slide behind Eric Kendricks and Devante Downs on the middle linebacker depth chart, he’ll still earn playing time due to his special teams prowess. He only played eight defensive snaps in 2018, earning the majority of his 13 tackles on special teams. He’ll be joining a Vikings grouping that’s allowed the lowest kickoff return average in the NFL (15.3 yards). The team is also tied for sixth for the lowest punt return average (5.2 yards).

Vikings Trim Roster To 53

September 1st, 2018 at 4:08pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

The Vikings have announced all of their cuts, getting their roster down to 53. Here are the moves:

Waived:

Placed on Reserve/Retired:

Placed on Reserve/Suspended:

Activated from Physically Unable to Perform:

Extra Points: Brothers, Edmunds, Kirk, Marshall, Poll

April 21st, 2018 at 9:24pm CST by Ryan Posner

Vikings linebacker Kentrell Brothers released a statement following his four-game suspension by the NFL for violating its policy on performance-enhancing drugs, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

“While it was not my intention to violate any league policies, I understand that it is up to me to be aware of what goes in my body, and I take full responsibility for that. I sincerely apologize to the Vikings organization, my teammates and our fans for my mistake. I take my job as a professional seriously and will continue to support my teammates during this time.”

It has still yet to be revealed what Brothers, a fifth-round pick in 2016, tested positive for. He’ll be able to take part in the team’s entire offseason program, including preseason practices and games.

Brothers appeared in just nine defensive snaps in 2017 but was also a contributor on special teams.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

  • Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds is nearly a lock to be taken in the first round of the upcoming draft. But Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports (on Twitter) has been hearing that his older brother, Terrell Edmunds, a safety from Virginia Tech, could also go in the first round.
  • While at a charity event Saturday in Phoenix hosted by Larry Fitzgerald, Texas A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk said he’d visited with the Cardinals, who hold the No. 15 overall pick of the upcoming draft, via Mike Jurecki (on Twitter).
  • Free-agent wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who was recently released by the Giants, was also at the charity event and declined comment on his free agency, via Jurecki (on Twitter).
  • USA Today’s Jarrett Bell and Lindsay H. Jones polled 25 agents from around the league on a variety of topics when it comes to dealing with NFL front offices. The 49ers graded out at No. 1 when it came to which team was most prepared in free agency and the Bengals graded out as the worst. Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome was graded to be the most-trusted executive and Redskins president Bruce Allen was found to be trusted the least.

NFL Suspends Vikings LB Kentrell Brothers

April 20th, 2018 at 2:20pm CST by Zachary Links

Bad news for Vikings linebacker Kentrell Brothers. The former fifth-round pick has been suspended for the first four games of the 2018 season for violating the performance enhancing drug policy, per a league announcement. 

Brothers has appeared in 26 games over the last two seasons for Minnesota. In that time, he has recorded 22 tackles, primarily as a special teamer. Per league rules, he’ll be able to practice with the team and play in the preseason, but will be sidelined for Weeks 1-4.

In other Vikings news, offensive lineman Nick Easton inked his RFA tender this week. The Vikings also finalized a mammoth extension with linebacker Eric Kendricks.

Draft Pick Signings: Eagles, Packers, Bears, Colts

May 6th, 2016 at 8:00pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Checking in on the latest rookie signings from around the NFL…

  • Two offensive linemen – third-rounder Isaac Seumalo and fifth-rounder Halapoulivaati Vaitai – have agreed to deals with the Eagles, the team tweeted. Seumalo went 79th in the draft after playing various positions, mostly center, along Oregon State’s O-line. Vaitai, the 164th pick, made 30 starts at tackle (primarily on the right side) during his TCU tenure.
  • The Colts have signed fourth-round linebacker Antonio Morrison, the 125th overall choice, according to a team press release. Morrison was a four-year starter at Florida.
  • Packers general manager Ted Thompson announced the signings of four draftees — fourth-rounders Blake Martinez (linebacker, Stanford) and Dean Lowry (defensive end, Northwestern), fifth-rounder Trevor Davis (receiver, California) and sixth-rounder Kyle Murphy (offensive tackle, Stanford). Those four were Green Bay’s final picks of this year’s draft. The team still has to lock up its top three selections, including first-round defensive lineman Kenny Clark.
  • The Bears inked fourth-round defensive back Deiondre’ Hall to a four-year deal worth $2.85MM, including a $510,982 signing bonus, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (on Twitter). Hall, the 127th pick, piled up 13 interceptions during his four years at Northern Iowa.
  • The Vikings have signed fourth-round offensive lineman Willie Beavers and fifth-round linebacker Kentrell Brothers, per a team press release. Beavers was a stalwart at left tackle for Western Michigan before the Vikings grabbed him with the 121st choice, while Brothers – the 160th selection – was a prolific defensive playmaker at Missouri.
  • The Steelers announced the signing of sixth-round linebacker Travis Feeney, a former University of Washington standout and the 220th overall pick.