No one had to interpret the situation for Chris Kluwe, the opinionated Minnesota Vikings punter. Kluwe, who gained national attention last fall for his support of same-sex marriage, figured his time in Minnesota was coming to an end when the Vikings chose Jeff Locke, a U.C.L.A. punter/kicker, in the fifth round of the N.F.L. draft.

It did Monday, when the Vikings placed Kluwe, 31, on no-recall waivers. Kluwe asked General Manager Rick Spielman last week to release him quickly if the team preferred Locke.

“You generally don’t take a punter in the fifth round unless that’s the guy you want to go with,” Kluwe said Monday in telephone interview after meeting separately with Spielman and Coach Leslie Frazier. “My perspective is, if that’s the direction the team wants to go, fine. Just give me the courtesy of letting me try to find a job somewhere else.”