Minnesota Vikinga punter Chris Kluwe may not be with the team for much longer, after the team selected UCLA punter Jeff Locke in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. There's plenty of reasons as to why the team could be deciding to go in a different direction, but if you ask Kluwe, he'd tell you that he's getting replaced due to his views on human rights.
Chris Kluwe ponders his future with the Vikings
Minnesota Vikings punter Chris Kluwe thinks that he’ll be replaced due to his stance on same-sex marriage.
USA TODAY Sports
In a text to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, Kluwe said that “It’s a shame that in a league with players given multiple second chances after arrests, including felony arrests, that speaking out on human rights has a chance of getting you cut.”
Presumably, Kluwe is referring to his stance on same-sex marriage, of which he has been a very vocal supporter. He fits the bill of an activist, and one that isn't afraid of hyperbole. Whether or not he really believes that's why the Vikings elected to draft a punter or not is anybody's guess (as is whether or not that's why the Vikings would replace him)
Kluwe has been a productive punter for some time and wasn't among the league's worst by any means last year. But it stands to reason that the Vikings liked Locke enough to make the transition before it was absolutely necessary to do so. Last season, they drafted kicker Blair Walsh, and he made the Pro Bowl in his rookie season.
If Kluwe is correct in his assertion that it has to do with his views and outspoken nature regarding his views, it will be interesting to see if he lands a job with another tea. Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo suggested that he was released by the Ravens for his support for same-sex marriage, but retracted the statement when he considered that his statement might hurt his chances of finding another team.
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