Patriots' Khyiris Tonga has big wish for Super Bowl matchup vs. Seahawks

Khyiris Tonga has made the bulk of his contributions for the 2025 New England Patriots serving as a defensive tackle. That said, Matt Vautour of MassLive noted on Monday that Tonga has thus far played 18 snaps of offense this season, four of which occurred when he was used as a blocker over New England's last two playoff games. 

While Tonga seems grateful he was able to participate in those offensive plays, he recently suggested he would like to be used as a ball-carrier or as a target for quarterback Drake Maye during the Patriots' Super Bowl LX showdown with the Seattle Seahawks on Feb. 8. 

Patriots DT Khyiris Tonga wants to live "the big man’s daydream" during the Super Bowl

"That’s always the big man’s daydream," Tonga said about possibly receiving the ball in a short-yardage scoring situation versus the Seahawks. "So far, just keep it vanilla. Be where I’ve got to be and do what’s best for the team."

Of course, first-year Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel is no stranger to recording offensive scores as a defensive player for the franchise. When he was a linebacker with New England, he famously caught a pair of touchdown passes tossed by living legend Tom Brady in Super Bowl games. 

Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels may feel a need to get a little creative for reasons that go beyond the fact that teams often empty the playbook during the final game of the season. The previously mentioned Maye spent last week dealing with a sore throwing shoulder after he seemed to land on it during New England's AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos on Jan. 25. There's no indication that issue will sideline Maye on Super Bowl Sunday, but handing the ball off to Tonga near the goal line could keep Maye and other playmakers from taking punishment in a scoring situation. 

Khyiris Tonga hopes to have "super fun" with Super Bowl offensive snap

“It’s super fun to see it from the offensive standpoint and seeing what they got to do," Tonga added during his comments. “I’ve got a lot of respect for them on that side of the ball."

Perhaps those who wager on such things should consider making a Tonga anytime touchdown bet before Super Bowl LX kicks off.