Why the Vikings Re-Signed Tavierre Thomas Despite His Penalty Issues

The Vikings announced on Wednesday morning that they've re-signed core special teams player and backup defensive back Tavierre Thomas. It's a two-year, $4.6 million deal, according to reports.

The reaction from many fans to that announcement was one of confusion. The most visible plays Thomas was involved in last season were penalties negating big returns by Myles Price. Why would the Vikings re-sign a guy best known for being penalized on special teams?

It's hard to blame fans for that viewpoint. After all, Thomas did commit a few notable penalties in his first season with the Vikings. He had a holding penalty — albeit a borderline one — in Week 4 in Dublin that wiped out a 54-yard return from Price. Even more significant was a holding call in Week 9 against the Lions that negated a 99-yard touchdown return from Price. Later in that game, Thomas picked up a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. In total, he was flagged four times on special teams last season, tied for seventh-most in the NFL.

But what's important to consider is that those are just four snaps out of the nearly 400 Thomas played in football's third phase in 2025. Yes, they were significant and costly mistakes, but they were also only a small fraction of his body of work last season. His 370 ST snaps were one behind Bo Richter for the team lead and tied for 11th-most in the entire NFL. Thomas was a true five-unit guy for Vikings special teams coordinator Matt Daniels, playing on kick and punt coverage, kick and punt returns, and field goal block.

Tavierre Thomas | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

And while fans understandably don't pay super close attention to all 11 players on every special teams snap, the Vikings clearly liked what Thomas brought to the table overall. He led the team in special teams tackles and earned a strong 84.4 ST grade from Pro Football Focus. That grade ranked 15th out of the 208 NFL players who saw at least 200 special teams snaps in the regular season.

Playing on special teams is kind of like being an offensive lineman in that you're most likely to get noticed when something goes wrong. The Vikings, evidently, believe Thomas brought them value last season despite the penalties. They probably also believe those won't happen as frequently in 2026. With Thomas and newcomer James Pierre, the Vikings may have locked in their top two punt gunners this week.

Thomas, who turned 30 today, is heading into his ninth NFL season after going undrafted out of Ferris State in 2018. He had stints with the Browns, Texans, and Buccaneers before landing in Minnesota. Thomas only played 19 defensive snaps last year, but he played a significant defensive role in Houston from 2021-23 and can be thrown into the secondary in a pinch.