Another Former Viking Signs with Ravens for Playoff Run
First, it was Dalvin Cook.
The Minnesota Vikings’ longtime tailback joined the Baltimore Ravens last week after departing the New York Jets before the end of the regular season. Now, it’s Dan Chisena.
Another Former Viking Signs with Ravens for Playoff Run
Baltimore added the speedy Chisena to its practice squad this week, outfitting its roster with a handful of former Vikings, including Cook, wide receiver Laquon Treadwell, and now Chisena.
The Ravens main social media account tweeted Wednesday, “We have signed WR Dan Chisena to the Practice Squad and released RB Jake Funk.”
Baltimore represents Chisena’s fourth NFL team this season alone, spending time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Vikings, Arizona Cardinals, and now Ravens. The Cardinals waived Chisena last month, re-signed him to the practice squad, and then his status was up in the air after Arizona’s season ended last weekend. So, the Ravens pounced.
The Penn State alumnus is one of the NFL’s fastest players and uses that trait to carve out special teams’ niches with football teams. He joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in January, and his stay lasted about seven months. Minnesota welcomed Chisena via undrafted free agency in April 2020. Chisena played in all 12 of the Nittany Lions games as a senior and caught three passes for 66 yards. With the Vikings, Chisena was renowned for special teams.
When Mike Zimmer ran the Vikings, Chisena experienced playing time in 25 games, including 471 snaps on special teams, with 11 offensive plays. In 2022 with Kevin O’Connell in charge, though, Chisena’s special teams role was clearly diminished, seeing action on just 24 plays early in the season in games against the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders. After that activation from the practice squad, that was it for Chisena on the 2022 active roster.
The former Nittany Lion is known for speed, speed, and more speed, recording a 4.32 forty-yard dash during the buildup to the 2020 NFL Draft. He was teammates with Saquon Barkley, Mike Gesicki, Micah Parsons, and Miles Sanders at Penn State.
This is the Ravens’ current WR corps with Chisena:
- Zay Flowers
- Odell Beckham
- Rashod Bateman
- Nelson Agholor
- Tylan Wallace
- Laquon Treadwell
- Tarik Black
- Sean Ryan
- Dan Chisena
Chisena will wear No. 83 for the Ravens.
Baltimore owns the second-best odds to win the Super Bowl in February, assigned a +320 moneyline from sportsbooks and directly behind the frontrunning San Francisco 49ers at +220. John Harbaugh’s team will enjoy a 1st-Round bye this weekend and prepare for the Divisional Round. The AFC road to the Super Bowl, no matter what, runs through Baltimore.
Chisena will turn 27 next month. It is unclear if he’ll be called up to the active roster for special teams duties next weekend.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
You must be logged in to post a comment.