New Viking Makes an Excellent Promise
The quote is a good one.
Tavierre Thomas, a new Viking, appears in a brief promo video for the Vikings, signing his new contract. There’s some initial praise for what the organization has to offer — something Thomas values as a veteran — before making a great promise: “Just know you’re going to get me going full speed for that cheese every down, sideline to sideline. On special teams, whatever I gotta do to get the job done, I’m going to be there to help out.”
New Viking Tavierre Thomas & “Going Full Speed for that Cheese”
The consensus seems to be that Mr. Thomas has been brought aboard to help Matt Daniels with the special teams.
Standing at 5’10” and weighing a sturdy 205 pounds, Thomas has been putting in work in the NFL since being signed as an UDFA by the Cardinals back in 2018. Since then, Thomas has been employed by the Browns, Texans, and Buccaneers. Add it all together and he has jumped into 1,869 special teams snaps.
Part of the appeal, as well, is that he can help out in the secondary if there’s a need.
For the most part, Thomas has soaked up snaps as a slot corner, which makes sense given that he’s a bit shorter. In his career, Thomas has been in the slot for 1,486 snaps, easily leading any other spot on the field. The next closest spot would be in the box with just 102 snaps.
Recent history has featured some special teams excellence getting celebrated in the Twin Cities. One thinks of Marcus Sherels, a punt returner who hung around for a long time. So, too, has NaJee Thompson been cherished recently for his ability to be a weapon on specials. Others like C.J. Ham, Adam Thielen, and Eric Wilson got their start on specials before moving onto large roles.
In 2024, Thomas played all seventeen games for the Bucs but didn’t snag a start. He picked up 14 tackles while playing 45 snaps on defense and 388 snaps on special teams.
Minnesota’s free agency has been dominated by the headlines that have been generated by signing several linemen to huge deals. The offensive line should take a good step forward with the additions of center Ryan Kelly and right guard Will Fries; the defensive line should be much more dangerous with the help from Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
Tavierre Thomas is promising to be a full-effort player, someone who empties the tank on a play-by-play basis. If he does so, Thomas will quickly become a fan favorite. The new Viking is 29.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference, PFF, and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
A Former Vikings Defender Is Coming Home
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.