Vikings release Tonyan, sign Richter

Does the move signal anything about tight end T.J. Hockenson's return?

The Minnesota Vikings made a roster move Tuesday afternoon that may not be too eye-grabbing but could signal much more than it seems at first glance.

The club (briefly) released tight end Robert Tonyan and signed edge Bo Richter from the practice squad. It comes a day after the team released another tight end and replaced him with a linebacker.

Following the latest move, the Vikings now have just two healthy tight ends on the active roster: Johnny Mundt and Josh Oliver.

Could that mean star tight end T.J. Hockenson will be activated off injured reserve and make his debut on Thursday night? It’s possible but still not certain.

Because activating Hockenson will require a corresponding move to open a roster spot, the Richter signing makes less sense if Hockenson will be activated this week.

The team quickly re-signed Tonyan to the practice squad and could still elevate him for Thursday’s game at the Los Angeles Rams. That would also make sense given that Richter had been elevated from the practice squad three times already — the maximum — and had to be signed to play Thursday.

Of course, the Vikings could certainly activate Hockenson and waive Richter, hoping to get him back on the practice squad, in a day or two, so the move doesn’t rule anything out either way. However, given that it’s a short week and head coach Kevin O’Connell said he’d want to know for gameplanning purposes whether or not Hockenson would be active early in the week, the star tight end may be on the shelf for one more game.