Who Should I Start? Robert Tonyan or Jake Tonges

Tuesday, August 27, 5:57 PM

The Minnesota Vikings released tight end Robert Tonyan on Tuesday. The Vikings have plenty of tight end depth, with superstar T.J. Hockenson (knee) on the PUP list and Josh Oliver, one of the best backups in the NFL. The 29-year-old spent the first five seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers before playing with the Chicago Bears in 2023. In 2020 he had by far the best season of his career, with 586 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. Tonyan, who has only ever played for NFC North teams, has put together a couple of productive seasons and shown that he has plenty of talent. Tonyan will look to latch onto another team but is off the fantasy radar for now in 2024.

Friday, April 18, 12:00 AM

The San Francisco 49ers announced on Thursday that tight end Jake Tonges and offensive lineman Austen Pleasants signed their one-year, exclusive-rights tenders. Both players will return to the Bay Area for the 2025 season. Tonges, 25, began his career with the Chicago Bears in 2022 and appeared in 16 games with the Niners in 2024 but was not used at all on offense on just 34 snaps. He'll make $1.03 million this year after re-signing. Instead, he played 232 snaps on special teams and had two solo tackles. The former undrafted free agent out of California will most likely serve in a similar role as a special-teams ace for San Fran in 2025. Pleasants, 27, started his career in 2021 with the Carolina Panthers and then played for the Los Angeles Chargers in 2023 and with the Niners last year. He has appeared in just five NFL games over three seasons.