Vikings sign former Broncos edge defender Andre Mintze

The Minnesota Vikings had a roster spot to fill to get back to 90 players, and they filled that spot on Monday with a player that new defensive coordinator Ed Donatell is pretty familiar with.

The Vikings have announced that they have signed former Denver Broncos edge defender Andre Mintze (pronounced like “Mints”).

Mintze was an undrafted free agent that the Broncos signed out of Vanderbilt following the 2021 NFL Draft. Mintze made the team out of Training Camp but was placed on injured reserve midway through the season with a hamstring injury. The Broncos brought him back in time for the final two games of the season.

Overall, Mintze appeared in six games for the Broncos in 2021, playing 64 snaps on defense and 69 snaps on special teams. (1. . .2. . .3. . .”nice.”) He wound up with four total tackles in those snaps.

Mintze might have an opportunity to latch on with the Vikings as a rotational contributor and special teamer. His familiarity with Ed Donatell and his system almost certainly played a role in him getting this opportunity with the Vikings. We’ll see when Training Camp gets underway next month whether or not he can make the most of that opportunity.