Would the Vikings Dare Make Another Tight End Move?
The Minnesota Vikings are about set at the top of their tight end room.
Obviously, T.J. Hockenson is leading the group after catching 41 passes for 455 yards in 10 games after he returned to the field from a torn ACL and MCL.
Minnesota also signed Josh Oliver to a contract extension worth $23.5 million over the next three seasons, meaning the Vikings have nearly $21 million on the books at the tight end position this season. Next year, the cap hit at the position jumps to over $30 million between the two players.
So, why would the Vikings think about investing more money at the position? Well, one player just became available who could be a strong addition to the position’s depth.
Should the Vikings Make Another Tight End Move?
The news broke on Sunday afternoon that the Seattle Seahawks were releasing TE Noah Fant just ahead of training camp.
“Seahawks released veteran tight end Noah Fant, the 2019 first-round pick who was acquired in the 2022 trade that sent Russell Wilson to Denver. Over the past three seasons in Seattle, Fant started 42 games and had 130 receptions for 1,400 yards and five touchdowns,” Adam Schefter wrote in a post on X just before 3 p.m. Central.
When at his best, Fant can be a strong receiving option at the tight end position. Of course, he doesn’t offer much in terms of blocking (graded out at 34.5 in pass blocking during 2024), which limits the amount of roles he can play at the position, which is likely what caused Seattle to cut him, opening the door for second-year player A.J. Barner to take on the starting role.
It wouldn’t hurt for the Vikings to have some added depth at tight end heading into training camp. Minnesota lost Johnny Mundt this offseason, and to replace him, they drafted Gavin Bartholomew in the sixth round out of Pittsburgh while signing Giovanni Ricci, a 2020 UDFA who spent four seasons in Carolina before missing the 2024 season with injury.
Put simply, the Vikings are still in need of a quality TE3 on the roster. Bartholomew has not shown the bursts of athleticism that Mundt offered as a blocker nor as a route runner. He did catch 38 passes last year for Pittsburgh though, so maybe we can see him hold down that third tight end spot decently.
Regardless, the Vikings should have their eyes open looking around to shore up that spot if Bartholomew’s first week or two of practices end up being a struggle.
Fant has proven capable of holding his own as a receiving tight end in the NFL throughout his career, totaling 500+ receiving yards in four of his first six seasons and never dipping below 30 receptions in a single campaign.
Mundt’s receiving capabilities were an underrated part of his game in Minnesota, but he caught 55 passes for 454 yards and four touchdowns. This came after he caught just 10 passes for 93 years during his first five NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.
Fant can easily fill that void, and the best part is he already has a proven chemistry with Hockenson. The duo played together at Iowa, with each player becoming top-20 selections in the 2019 NFL Draft. Fant actually led the entire Big Ten in touchdown receptions during the 2017 season, recording 11 scores while playing alongside Hockenson.
Perhaps a reunion of the Hawkeye products is in order in the coming weeks.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Focus, Pro Football Reference, and Sports Reference CFB.
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