The Minnesota Vikings have a strange tight end room. Only two tight ends remain after Johnny Mundt’s goodbye last week. He followed QB Nick Mullens and coach Grant Udinski to Jacksonville. T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver are the two guys on the team, but the Vikings will welcome about a handful of newcomers until training camp.

Former Vikings Tight End Signs with Chargers

One guy the club could’ve added to improve the depth behind starter Hockenson was Tyler Conklin, a former Viking. However, he is way too good to be a TE3, and now, he’s also off the market.

He agreed to a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers. Adam Schefter reported, “Former Jets TE Tyler Conklin reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Chargers, per his agent.”

Conklin was a fifth-round pick in 2018. The Central Michigan alumnus quickly earned some playing time behind entrenched starter Kyle Rudolph, catching a pass in his NFL debut in 2018. He tabulated five catches in 2018, eight in 2019, and 19 in 2020.

In the 2021 offseason, longtime starter Rudolph departed, allowing backup and former second-rounder Irv Smith to take his spot and Conklin to become the new TE2 in the final campaign of his rookie contract.

That plan quickly changed, however, when Smith suffered a season-ending meniscus injury. Suddenly, Conklin was the starter in the tight end room, climbing from the third to the first position within a few months.

The good news is that he was ready for the opportunity and registered 61 catches for 593 yards and three touchdowns. Conklin was an important asset in the middle of the field.

In the following offseason, Smith returned and was once again called a potential breakout player under the new regime. Conklin was a free agent and joined the Jets, signing a three-year deal worth $21 million. There’s a decent chance that the Vikings would’ve loved to have the reliable veteran back for a fifth season, but the Jets’ offer was fantastic, and they still viewed Smith as their starter.

At the trade deadline, the front office acquired Hockenson, a move that perhaps doesn’t happen with Conklin under contract.

With the Jets, Conklin was pretty reliable, catching between 51 and 61 passes in his three seasons. He produced 449, 552, and 621 yards and seven touchdowns. Conklin was a solid contributor for the Jets but has now moved on.

The Chargers employ four tight ends. Will Dissly was last year’s starter. Fantasy managers will remember him for a few weeks of productive play. He will compete with Conklin, but the former Viking has a better track record. A timeshare is possible.

Tucker Fisk, born in Edina, MN, is also rostered, just like McCallan Castles. Fisk caught seven passes last year, Castles has yet to make his NFL debut.

The Chargers were also envisioned to be in the market for tight end help in a pretty good draft class at the position, but Conklin’s arrival takes the immediate need off the board.

Conklin will turn 30 in July.

Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.

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