Minnesota Vikings sign free agent tight end Robert Tonyan

The Minnesota Vikings announced on Thursday that they have signed former Packers and Bears tight end Robert Tonyan to a new deal for the 2024 season. Tonyan is now headed to his third NFC North squad to play his seventh season in the NFL.

A former undrafted free agent out of Indiana State, Tonyan played for the Bears during the 2023 season on a one-year deal for $2.65 million. He played in all 17 games, recording 11 catches for 112 yards. His stats marked his lowest production since his rookie season with the Packers.

Through six seasons, Tonyan has tallied 148 catches, 1,549 yards and 17 touchdowns. His career highs came during the 2020 season for Green Bay. During that tumultuous year, he managed to rack up 52 catches for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns. He had another good year for the Packers in 2022, tallying 53 catches for 470 yards and two touchdowns, but he ultimately left Green Bay in free agency. He played for $3.75 million for the Packers in 2022.

With the Vikings, Tonyan joins a tight ends room that includes T.J. Hockenson. Unfortunately for Minnesota, Hockenson may not be able to start the season in Week 1 as he continues recovering from a knee injury. He told reporters this week that there isn’t a set timeline for his rehab from ACL and MCL surgery. He went down in Week 16 when the Vikings faced the Lions.

“They haven’t really put a timeline on it,” Hockenson said this week. “We’re just kinda taking it day by day, week by week, there’s just so many variables that you can go through in this process. I’m doing really good right now. We’re attacking each process. I’m attacking each one and it’s been awesome, the progression has been incredible.”

More on the 2024 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2024 calendar year began at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. At that time, contracts running through 2023 officially ran out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams had a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 5. Beginning March 11 through March 13 teams could enter into a legal negotiation with players who will become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marked the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 19 marked the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 24, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offers sheets hit. Following the restricted free agent deadline followed the 2024 NFL Draft, which ran from April 25-27.