Former Pitt tight end Nakia Griffin-Stewart has signed as an undrafted free agent with the Minnesota Vikings, he announced on Saturday night.
Griffin-Stewart, a 6-foot-5, 260-pound native of Tenafly, New Jersey, played just one season with the Panthers after joining the team as a graduate transfer from Rutgers in advance of the 2019 season.
In his one season in Oakland, Griffin-Stewart made 12 starts in 13 games as the Panthers’ primary tight end. He caught 19 passes for 185 yards and one touchdown, finishing fifth on the team in receptions and seventh in receiving yards.
Griffin-Stewart continues a significant trend of Pitt tight ends in professional football, as Manessah Garner (Kansas City Chiefs, 2019), JP Holtz (Chicago Bears), Scott Orndoff (Philadelphia Eagles, 2019) and Matt Flanagan (Washington Redskins, 2019) have all played professionally in recent years.
He’s the second Pitt player to sign as an undrafted free agent following the 2020 NFL Draft, joining wide receiver and kick returner Maurice Ffrench, who signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.
One Pitt player — cornerback Dane Jackson — was drafted in the seventh round. Griffin-Stewart will join tackle Brian O’Neil as Pitt players on Minnesota’s roster.
Over under of 12 drops in his 4 game preseason career. What are you taking?
Lol way over he had the worst hands i ever seen
He was horrible. He won’t make 4 preseason games.
He will end up being the next Tony Gonzalez and prove us all wrong. Those hands of stone were only a mirage.