More Minnesota Vikings Roster Tweaks

Earlier this week, the Minnesota Vikings tweaked their roster by swapping out offensive tackles on the practice squad. Marcellus Johnson was signed. Ricky Lee III was released after nearly a month with the team. On Wednesday, an injury necessitated another roster tweak. 

During his weekly press conference, Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell revealed that backup tight end Nick Muse suffered a small fracture in his hand early in Sunday’s fantastic win over the San Francisco 49ers. If the injury happened early in the game, that means he recovered the onside kick that sealed the win with a fractured hand. O’Connell said that Muse could play “but it would require him to wear a big old cast on his hand and have the thing wrapped.” The team’s decision-makers decided it best that Muse allow the hand to heal over the next few weeks. He was placed on short-term injured reserve. That will keep him out for at least the next four weeks. With T.J. Hockenson already out for at least another two weeks, and probably four, Muse’s absence will leave the Vikings with only two tight ends on the active roster, Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt. N’Keal Harry and Robert Tonyan are on the practice squad so the position is far from depleted. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Harry and/or Tonyan are active for Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans. 

To take Muse’s place on the active roster, running back Myles Gaskin was elevated from the practice squad. That move was easy to predict as Gaskin has been a game day elevation for both games this season. Since the roster reduction to 53, Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler have been the only running backs on the active roster. That light running back group resulted in Gaskin’s weekly elevations. Now, the Vikings don’t have to do that. Now, they’ll have to do that with the tight end group. 

The elevation of Myles Gaskin to the active roster opened a spot on the practice squad. The Vikings filled that spot with linebacker Max Tooley. Conveniently, Tooley spent the offseason and training camp with Sunday’s opponent. After playing six years at BYU and not being selected in the 2024 NFL Draft, he signed with the Houston Texans. He played in all four of the team’s preseason games. In those games, he totaled 10 tackles (nine on defense and one on special teams), a quarterback hit, and a forced fumble. 

Get that hand healed, Nick Muse. Welcome to Minnesota, Max Tooley.