Aug 24, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Hall (49) celebrates with running back Myles Gaskin (37) after scoring a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings extended their early-season win streak to five games on Sunday, defeating the New York Jets in London. Two days later, the Jets fired their head coach, Robert Saleh. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich took over.
On the same day, the Vikings fired up a couple of roster moves with the bye week underway.
Minnesota will host the Detroit Lions in 12 days, rapidly becoming one of the most anticipated regular season games of the last decade or so.
To start the bye week, there were the roster moves.
Running back Aaron Jones injured his hip in London, and the purple offense hit the pause button accordingly. It got nothing going — nothing at all — without Jones.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said about Jones’ injury status on Tuesday, “He continues to be evaluated, but all the early information we’ve got so far, it looks like we’ve avoided a long-term injury. I’d classify him week to week at this point.”
So, the club needs some depth at running back all of a sudden, and Gaskin will evidently become a permanent fixture on the depth chart behind Jones (RB1) and Ty Chandler (RB2). Minnesota also has a man named Zavier Scott on the practice squad, who would be called up if another injury rattles the enterprise.
In late August, ESPN Kevin Seifert tweeted about Gaskin: “Kevin O’Connell said he is considering multiple options at KR, including Gaskin, but made clear the Vikings consider Gaskin a potential three-down back as well as having returning ability. Nwangwu had a decent preseason as a runner, but the full skillsets don’t compare.”
Minnesota notably parted ways with running back Kene Nwangwu and DeWayne McBride within the last six weeks, so Gaskin is its RB3 of choice.
Often in the NFL, a player is released and quickly added back to the practice squad. The move is procedural.
That’s what’s happening with Tonyan, a product of roster maintenance who will rejoin the practice squad on Wednesday. Without TE1 T.J. Hockenson — who is due to return to the starting lineup versus the Lions on October 20th or at the Los Angeles Rams on October 24th — Tonyan has been elevated from the practice squad twice.
The procedural move essentially resets Tonyan’s elevation clock.
Tonyan has played 11 offensive snaps and 28 on special teams for the 2024 Vikings but has not been targeted by quarterback Sam Darnold in the passing game. He’ll remain a depth tight end and an option if something injury-wise occurs to Hockenson, Josh Oliver, or Johnny Mundt.
The former Green Bay Packer served as one of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite targets in Wisconsin for a few seasons.
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.
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