Vikings re-sign reserve tight end Nick Muse

The Vikings have re-signed tight end Nick Muse, who was an exclusive rights free agent (a player with two accrued seasons and an expired contract). He'll be back for his third season in Minnesota in 2024.

Muse, a seventh-round pick out of South Carolina in 2022, has a chance to factor into the Vikings' early-season plans at tight end this year, depending on what they do in the offseason. T.J. Hockenson is expected to miss some time to begin the regular season due to his recovery from late-January ACL surgery. Blocking TE Josh Oliver is under contract, but Johnny Mundt — who filled Hockenson's receiving role in the season's final games — is a free agent. It'll be interesting to see what happens there.

Muse began his rookie season on the practice squad but ended up appearing in ten games, playing 106 snaps on special teams and one on offense. He also ended the year on the practice squad, signing a reserve/future contract after the season. After having a couple drops in his rookie preseason, he posted a solid 7-72-1 line in last year's August slate, including a touchdown catch against the Seahawks. He only appeared in the final two games of the regular season, catching his first NFL pass — a 22-yarder — in the finale against the Lions.

A 6'5", 252 pounds, the 25-year-old Muse has a bit of upside as a depth tight end option heading into his third season. That alone makes him one of the better value picks of the Vikings' 2022 draft.