EAGAN, Minn. — The Vikings on Tuesday announced they have acquired tight end Chris Herndon from the New York Jets.
Minnesota sent a 2022 fourth-round draft pick to New York in exchange for a 2022 sixth-round draft pick and Herndon, who is 25 years old and is listed at 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds.
Herndon helps solve the Vikings depth issues at tight end, which manifested when starter Irv Smith, Jr., suffered a meniscus injury in Friday's preseason finale.
Smith's timetable for a return after surgery is unclear. Tyler Conklin is on the mend from a hamstring injury, but he is expected to be ready for Week 1.
View photos of Vikings TE Chris Herndon who recently joined the team.
Vikings Head Coach Mike Zimmer offered a blunt assessment of the tight end depth behind those two players on Monday.
"Yeah, well, it's not good," Zimmer said.
Enter Herndon, who was a Jets 2018 fourth-round pick out of Miami. (Herndon was the 107th overall pick in that draft, while Conklin was picked 50 spots later).
The Georgia native has 71 career catches for 796 yards and seven scores in 33 career games.
Herndon has made 25 career starts (12 as a rookie and 13 in 2020). He had 502 receiving yards and four scores as a rookie.
Herndon played in just one game in 2019. He was suspended the first four games of the season and did not play until Nov. 10 and then suffered a season-ending injury upon returning.
He bounced back in 2020 with 31 catches for 287 yards and three scores.
