Getty Minnesota Vikings tight end Nick Muse (left) and former teammate Abram Smith (right).
The Minnesota Vikings have invested heavily at tight end over the past couple seasons, which could result in a familiar name landing on the outside looking in by training camp.
Evan Winter of A to Z Sports on June 27 named Nick Muse as Minnesota’s top “surprise cut candidate” of the summer. One primary reason is how well Robert Tonyan — formerly of the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears — has comported himself in early offseason workouts.
“Vikings head coach [Kevin O’Connell] deemed Muse the ‘best TE3 in the league’ when the team re-signed him back in March, but he’s in an awfully crowded tight end room — even with T.J. Hockenson on the mend,” Winter wrote. “The staff has talked Robert Tonyan up and obviously Josh Oliver is in the picture. Then, there’s the wildcard that is the N’Keal Harry experiment. No one is expecting him to become the next Travis Kelce or Jim Kleinsasser, even. But at the same time, he could potentially be used as a weapon in certain packages and in certain situations.”
Winter also mentioned Trey Knox, formerly of South Carolina, who the Vikings signed as an undrafted free agent following the NFL draft.
Nick Muse Has Been Moderate Contributor to Vikings Over Past 2 Seasons, Mostly on Special Teams
GettyNick Muse of the Minnesota Vikings runs with the football during a preseason game against the San Francisco 49ers in August 2022.
Muse has appeared in 12 games for the Vikings over the past two seasons, playing almost exclusively on special teams (137 total snaps). He has logged just one career catch for 22 yards and a first down, which came during the 2023 campaign, per Pro Football Reference.
The devastating knee injury Hockenson suffered late last year, which will keep the two-time Pro Bowler sidelined for at least a handful of games to start the upcoming season, might have provided an opening for Muse were he a more accomplished pass-catcher. However, with Oliver under contract through 2025 on a $21 million deal, Minnesota needs a tight end complement with sure hands and a proven track record to step in for Hockenson.
And Muse just ain’t that guy.
Robert Tonyan, N’Keal Harry Could Play Nick Muse Out of Job With Vikings
GettyFormer Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan has thrived with the Minnesota Vikings so far in 2024.
Harry, a former first-round pick of the New England Patriots as a wide receiver, will attempt to convert into a catch-first tight end for the Vikings this summer. Meanwhile, first-hand accounts have described Tonyan as a standout player during spring and early summer workouts.
Robert Tonyan has looked great in minicamp. No hyperbole. Catching everything, snagged multiple passes in red-zone period today, outstretched arms, toe-tapping in corner of the end zone. Just impressive.
“Robert Tonyan has looked great in minicamp,” Alec Lewis of The Athletic posted to X on June 5. “No hyperbole. Catching everything, snagged multiple passes in red-zone period today, outstretched arms, toe-tapping in the corner of the end zone. Just impressive.”
Tonyan played five years with the Packers, where he tallied 137 catches for 1,437 yards and 17 TDs, according to Pro Football Reference. He will play this season at 30 years old on a one-year contract worth $1.125 million that includes only $150,000 in guaranteed money.
Meanwhile, Muse is playing on a one-year deal worth $985,000.
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Vikings Tight End Identified as Eye-Opening Cut Candidate