The Seattle Adventure Ended Quickly for an Ex-Viking
The Minnesota Vikings are in the midst of a special season after winning ten of the first 12 games. In the offseason, nobody had any expectations for a club that had just moved on from its starting quarterback of six seasons, especially when rookie J.J. McCarthy landed on IR with his season-ending knee injury.
The Seattle Adventure Ended Quickly for an Ex-Viking
Part of that low-expectation offseason roster was tight end N’Keal Harry, who the Vikings moved from wide receiver to tight end.
He signed with the Seattle Seahawks practice squad on November 11, but the NFC West franchise released him on Tuesday, and he is looking for work again. SI.com’s Seahawks beat reporter Corbin K. Smith tweeted: “Seahawks signed defensive tackle Quinton Bohanna and center Mike Novitsky to practice squad, released tight end N’Keal Harry.”
The tight end entered the league in 2019 ‒ as a wideout. Nearing the end of their dynasty, Tom Brady’s Patriots desperately needed receiver help, but the first-round rookie didn’t move the needle. Furthermore, he became a massive bust for New England, catching only 57 passes for 598 yards and four touchdowns until the Patriots released him after three seasons.
He then had a stint with the Bears, but seven catches for 116 yards and one score were once again disappointing. In 2023, he signed with the Vikings and appeared in nine games but couldn’t register a single catch.
In June of 2024, ESPN’s Kevin Seifert mentioned on X: “An interesting personnel idea that came to light today: The Vikings still list N’Keal Harry as a WR, but he is working with the tight ends to see if he can contribute there. A former No. 1 pick of the Patriots, Harry is listed at 6-4, 225 lbs.”
That was the first time a move to tight end was reported in any way. He worked with his new position group all offseason and in training camp. In the preseason, he showed some flashes, but it was ultimately not enough to make the roster over depth tight ends Nick Muse and Johnny Mundt.
In his college days, the Arizona State alumnus recorded a pair of 1,000-yard seasons and caught 22 touchdowns in his three collegiate campaigns. A physical receiver standing 6-4 and 225 pounds, Harry lacked the requisite quickness and route-running ability to excel at the next level, but his body type is intriguing for a tight end.
Minnesota’s tight end reserves have been tested this season, with T.J. Hockenson missing the first half of the season due to his knee injury. Josh Oliver missed the last two contests, while Muse had a stint on IR because of a hand fracture.
Former first-round picks usually get an unlimited number of looks from NFL teams, so there’s a decent chance Harry will be back on someone’s team in the next few weeks or, at the latest, in the offseason or training camp. He has not appeared in an NFL game in the 2024 campaign.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt