One of Kevin O’Connell’s Favorite Players Just Said Goodbye to the Vikings
No doubt about it: Kevin O’Connell loves Johnny Mundt.
One wonders, then, if the Vikings’ head coach is disappointed in the news. Tom Pelissero of The NFL Network relayed the update: “Source: Former #Vikings TE Johnny Mundt to Jacksonville. 2-years $5.5M.”
The Separation of Kevin O’Connell and Johnny Mundt
O’Connell and Mundt have history together.
Prior to coming over to the Twin Cities, O’Connell worked as the offensive coordinator for the LA Rams, winning a Super Bowl following the 2021 season. On that team was Mr. Mundt, a depth tight end who can do a bit of everything.
The veteran tight end stands at 6’4″ and weighs 233 pounds, making him a bit smaller for the position. He has been in the NFL since 2017, working initially with the Rams before becoming a Viking.
Last season, Mundt picked up 27 targets in the passing game, turning those opportunities into 19 catches for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns. The tight end soaked up 434 snaps on offense and 133 snaps on special teams.
The obvious connection in Jacksonville is with Grant Udinski, the former Vikings coach who is now the offensive coordinator for the Jags. Udinski has a close relationship with O’Connell, so perhaps it’s unsurprising that he’s similarly fond of the depth tight end.
The $5.5 million price tag represents a pretty good raise for Johnny Mundt. His first deal with the Vikings spanned a couple of seasons but had an annual average of $1,207,500. He then signed a single-season deal for $2,000,000. Minnesota seems to have been outbid for the veteran.
At the top of the tight end position in Minnesota is T.J. Hockenson. Next up is Josh Oliver, a blocking specialist moving into the final season of his deal. Both players are 27 and both finished within the top-ten for PFF rankings for tight ends.
The Johnny Mundt deal likely isn’t large enough to factor into the compensatory picks formula. Look for Minnesota to fill the TE3 need at some point during the offseason.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on social media (Bluesky & Twitter). If you feel so inclined, subscribe to his Substack, The Vikings Gazette, for more great Vikings content.