FILE – New York Jets tight end Chris Herndon (89) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the first half of an NFL soccer game against the Cleveland Browns in East Rutherford, NJ this Sunday, December 27, 2020 file photo. The New York Jets traded Chris Herndon for the Minnesota Vikings, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
Bill Kostroun
By DENNIS WASZAK AP Pro Football Writer
NEW YORK (AP) – The New York Jets have traded Chris Herndon for the Minnesota Vikings, a person with direct knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press.
Herndon was a selection of the Jets in the fourth round from Miami in 2018. He’s had a promising rookie season but never quite became the constant playmaker New York had hoped for.
NFL Network first reported the trade on Tuesday when the teams reduced their roster to the maximum limit of 53 players. The person confirmed the deal to the AP on condition of anonymity, as none of the teams had announced the deal.
The terms of the deal were not immediately known, but it is believed that the Jets will receive compensation from the Vikings.
The 25-year-old Herndon has 71 career catches for 796 yards and seven touchdowns in three seasons. He entered a competition that summer with Tyler Kroft, Ryan Griffin, Trevon Wesco and Kenny Yeboah. It appeared that Kroft, a free agent signed in March, was ahead of him on the depth map.
Herndon was supposed to take on a starting role in Minnesota.
The Vikings desperately needed reinforcement on the tight end, with a knee injury to their # 1 option, Irv Smith Jr., that will require surgery and incapacitate him for at least a couple of games, if not more, depending on the amount of repair it is necessary for his meniscus.
