Big Bullet Dodged on Robert Tonyan
The Minnesota Vikings will start the 2024 NFL season without T.J. Hockenson available for their active roster. That meant bringing in Robert Tonyan this offseason, and that plan almost failed to launch due to a training camp injury.
Big Bullet Dodged on Robert Tonyan
Although the Minnesota Vikings struggled to compete through key injuries last season, the worst fallout may have been losing T.J. Hockenson to an injury that was certainly going to bleed into the following season. Timelines for Hockenson remain murky at best, but the reality is he won’t take the field in Week 1.
Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy will be under center at all points this season for Kevin O’Connell. Both have a path towards a competitive season, but that will also rely on their skill position players propping them up. Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are sure to do that. Robert Tonyan may be the next most desirable pass catcher.
Although the former Packers tight end doesn’t need to find the end zone as often as he did in one season with Green Bay, presenting another viable option is a must. When he went down with what looked like a serious injury during training camp on Thursday, it would have been hard not to hold your breath. Thankfully, the updates paint a much prettier picture.
Tonyan’s dealing with back spasms is still not a great reality. He will need treatment and has to work his way back towards a return to play. The hope is that he could be ready before preseason action kicks off, and that’s a matter of days rather than months. Tonyan missing any significant time would put a strain on the tight end position, and that’s while the wide receiver position also has plenty of questions of its own.
Alongside Tonyan, the Vikings have Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt. The former is more of the blocking type, while the latter is a bit of a hybrid. Tonyan should be expected to factor heavily out of the gate in the passing game, and Minnesota needs him to begin the year with a clean bill of health.
Injury has already cost the Vikings cornerback Mekhi Blackmon. Thankfully, Tonyan seems to have avoided that fate.
Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.
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