Vikings Re-Sign TE Ben Ellefson

Vikings Tight End Retires
Oct 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings tight end Ben Ellefson (82) during the NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports

The Minnesota Vikings made their latest move right at the official start of free agency, announcing that they had re-signed TE Ben Ellefson on Wednesday afternoon.

Ellefson went into the offseason as a restricted free agent, but per Chris Tomasson of The Pioneer Press, Minnesota had opted to decline his RFA tender of $2.627 million. Because of this, he entered unrestricted free agency, but evidently, the two sides were still able to come to an agreement on a cheaper contract. For now, we are still waiting on official details regarding this contract.

This re-signing means the Vikings officially have five tight ends on their roster right now as Ellefson joins T.J. Hockenson, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse, and the recently acquired Josh Oliver. Having that many players at the position should make for a very interesting battle in training camp when this summer rolls around.

The fourth-year tight end was an undrafted free agent out of North Dakota State in the 2020 NFL Draft, and through his first three seasons, Ellefson appeared in 16 games. He actually spent his rookie season with the Jacksonville Jaguars where he played 7 of these games, mainly for blocking and special teams purposes, while recording a single reception for 10 yards.

Jaguars TE (86) Ben Ellefson. © Bob Self/Florida Times-Union via Imagn Content Services, LLC.

Ellefson then joined the Vikings in 2021, and he has appeared in 9 games for Minnesota over these first two years. In 2022, he took on a larger role early on in the season, but a groin injury ended his 2022 season just four weeks into the campaign. In all, he recorded 3 receptions for 26 yards during the season.

Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.

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