Vikings’ Tight End Can Be Considered the Winner of Spring
T.J. Hockenson suffered his severe knee injury in Week 16 when his former teammate Kerby Joseph infamously (but legally) hit him low. A torn ACL was the result. The required surgery was delayed because of the swelling, which is a standard procedure, but it was still annoying as it extended the timeline.
Vikings’ Tight End Can Be Considered the Winner of Spring
His surgery was performed in late January. The Vikings have not released any schedule for his recovery, but a nine-month absence would rule him out for seven games. Hockenson has been the main target besides Justin Jefferson since his arrival at the trade deadline in 2022, and his presence in the middle of the field has been essential for the offense.
In the NFL, however, life moves on regardless of injuries, and whenever a player is out, his backup will get some opportunities to shine. For the Vikings, it is a mystery which one of the backups will excel. Versatile veteran Johnny Mundt did it in the season’s final two games, while Josh Oliver remained in his blocking role.
The new guy in town, Robert Tonyan, is a hot candidate to explode without the top guy in the room. Tonyan entered the league as an undrafted rookie in 2017 but failed to make Detroit’s 53-man roster. The Packers stashed him on the practice squad, and he slowly earned a role in Aaron Rodgers’ attack. His breakthrough arrived in 2020 when he caught 52 passes for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. The latter number led all tight ends in the NFL.
Besides an injury in 2021, the tight remained an effective target for Rodgers, but he departed in the 2023 offseason and joined his third NFC North team. With the Bears, Tonyan couldn’t make much of an impact in the subpar passing offense and was limited to 112 yards, his lowest total since 2019, when he played a depth role in Green Bay.
The 30-year-old found a new home that will allow him to contribute. But does he still have his athleticism, and can he be helpful for Minnesota? That remains to be seen, but the early returns are positive.
Alec Lewis from The Athletic wrote about the tight end: “Would not be blown away if he was the No. 3 most targeted Vikings pass catcher until Hockenson returns. This spring, he was that frisky.”
The job as the team’s third pass-catcher is vacant because of Hockenson’s absence and K.J. Osborn’s exit. Between the competition for the WR3 role featuring Brandon Powell, Trent Sherfield, and Jalen Nailor and the tight end group, someone must emerge as a reliable option behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
Lewis is not the only one intrigued by the former rival. Purple Insider’s Matthew Coller praised him on his podcast: “Robert Tonyan had a tremendous minicamp. There are two other guys that will have an opportunity to battle with Tonyan and (Johnny) Mundt for those positions. I can’t decide right now… I saw too much good from Robert Tonyan and have maybe overcompensated there for what he’s going to be, but he did have a lot of catches in the OTA phase.”
The tight end room includes Hockenson, Oliver, Mundt, and Tonyan as the established players. 2022 seventh-rounder Nick Muse sticks around, and the team moved ex-first-rounder N’Keal Harry from WR to TE. After the draft, international pathway player Sammis Reyes and undrafted rookie Trey Knox were added.
If Hockenson starts the season on the PUP list, the Vikings will likely keep three or four of the other seven tight ends on the roster.
Offensive coordinator Wes Phillips has been another fan of the newly arrived Tonyan since he was blown away by his workout with the team, as he claimed shortly after the signing: “It was kind of one of those workouts where you just watch the guy run and catch, and understands what you’re asking him to do from his experience. And it was kind of a no-brainer, everyone just looked around and said, ‘Yeah, let’s get him.'”
The potential contributor signed a one-year deal worth $1.125 million and should be considered on the inside track to make the 53-man roster.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over the Cap and 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