Josh McDaniels may have found something special without even trying

A secret weapon for the New England Patriots may no longer be a secret.

No, the Patriots’ Tonga Truck package on offense has been too fun — and too successful — for opponents to ignore going forward.

Khyiris Tonga, New England’s 335-pound nose tackle, saw an expanded role on offense as a fullback during Sunday’s road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After debuting with one offensive snap in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons, Tonga was on the field for eight snaps against the Bucs.

That the Patriots rushed for 166 yards in that game is no coincidence.

Pro Football Focus gave Tonga a 75.4 run-blocking grade — which led the team. All eight of his snaps were rush plays, and he helped collapse the entire left side of the Bucs’ defensive line on TreVeyon Henderson’s 69-yard touchdown scamper that helped seal a 28-23 win, the Patriots’ seventh in a row.

The Patriots have found an absolute gem in the 29-year-old journeyman, who signed a one-year contract worth just $2.1 million to join New England this offseason. He’s been worth every penny and more, showcasing his versatility on Sunday with 28 snaps on defense, eight on offense, and four more on the field goal block team, per PFF.

Tonga had previous stops with the Chicago Bears, Minnesota Vikings and Arizona Cardinals, but only the Bears used him on offense; he played exactly one offensive snap during his rookie year in Chicago, and that was it.

He’s clearly got a blossoming new role for the Patriots, who are getting way more than they bargained for from the 2021 seventh-round draft pick.

What started as a joke has turned into a viable option for the New England Patriots and Khyiris Tonga

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels hasn’t yet called a pass with Tonga on the field. That could soon change as that grouping continues to evolve.

While Tonga played some offensive snaps in college for BYU, this was hardly part of the Patriots’ midseason plan for 2025.

Tonga joined Patriots Unfiltered following the Falcons game, and revealed that his involvement on offense started with a playful conversation between himself and McDaniels during practice.

“Yeah, Coach Josh came up to me after practice one time, and he kind of jokingly threw it in — ‘Hey, be prepared if we ever throw you on at fullback in a goal line situation, or short yardage,’ … And next thing you know I’m taking reps with the O-line and seeing how they move.”

Tonga moves extremely well for a man of his size. He’s piled up eight QB pressures and seven hurries as an underrated interior pass rusher on defense, per PFF. On offense, he’s already lined up wide and been sent in motion.

The Patriots were one of the worst rushing teams in football over the first month of the season. They rank seventh in the NFL with 151 rush yards per game over their last three, and it will be interesting to see if Tonga can help them remain in the top 10 going forward.