Vikings Chop Veteran Pass Catcher
He was a contingency plan for T.J. Hockenson — one that has not quite panned out, at least not yet.
Vikings Chop Veteran Pass Catcher
The Minnesota Vikings released veteran tight end Robert Tonyan on Tuesday, as the club apparently expects a Week 8 or Week 9 return for Hockenson.
The Vikings announced on social media: “The Vikings have signed OLB Bo Richter to the active roster and released TE Robert Tonyan.”
Fans will enjoy the Bo Richter promotion. The young pass rusher turned heads at training camp and in the preseason as an undrafted free agent from Air Force. In fact, Richter played so well at times during the preseason games that some believed he’d make the 53-man roster. He came close at the end of summer and will now live on the active roster.
As for Tonyan, the Vikings often welcome back players to the practice squad after a few days of roster maintenance. It is unclear if Tonyan will return in a few days or hit the open free-agent market for good. Stay tuned.
Minnesota is on the cusp of welcoming back the aforementioned Hockenson and his TE teammate Nick Muse. Tonyan might’ve become expendable with those two horses eventually returning to the lineup. Minnesota also released veteran tight end and former 1st-Rounder N’Keal Harry on Monday. One man, if not both, is likely gone for good.
These are the Vikings tight ends with the exits of Tonyan and Harry:
- T.J. Hockenson
- Josh Oliver
- Johnny Mundt
- Nick Muse (Injured)
- Sammis Reyes (Practice Squad)
Tonyan has played 33 special teams snaps and 13 on offense so far in 2024, and Minnesota ran out of PS elevations for the 30-year-old. A player can only be called up from the practice squad twice before needing to join the 53-man roster.
The veteran tight end was hampered by back spasms during the summer, canceling his preseason participation and allowing fellow TEs like Johnny Mundt and Nick Muse to surpass him on the depth chart. The Vikings even released him amid roster trimdowns in late August but swiftly added him to the PS.
Tonyan encountered a quiet season with the Chicago Bears in 2023, receiving just 17 targets in 17 games while banking 11 receptions for 112 yards. Before 2023, Tonyan spent five seasons in Green Bay, with 1,437 yards on 148 catches for 17 touchdowns in 68 games as a Packer. At times, he was one of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite targets.
He is the most recent in a long list of Packers defectors to join the Vikings in the last few years, including Bashaud Breeland, Chandon Sullivan, Za’Darius Smith, Dean Lowry, Aaron Jones — and Tonyan.
The Vikings are favored to defeat the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday Night Football by three points, and a determination on Hockenson’s status should be announced on Wednesday or Thursday.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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