Tight end Rhett Ellison tore the patellar tendon in his right knee in Week 17, which is a terrible injury for any player and particularly for one about to hit free agency.
Selling yourself to a new team is difficult when it’s highly unlikely that you’re going to be able to get on the field until next season is well underway, but Ellison won’t have to go that route. The Vikings announced Tuesday that they have re-signed their 2012 fourth-round pick.
Ellison has started 35 games for the Vikings over the last four seasons and has mainly served as a blocking complement to Kyle Rudolph in the Minnesota offense. He’s caught 30 passes for 332 yards and two touchdowns over the last two seasons.
MyCole Pruitt is the only tight end other than Rudolph and Ellison on Minnesota’s roster at present. Given the likelihood that Ellison will be spending time on the physically unable to perform list, that number should grow at some point this offseason.