Chris Tomasson, the longtime Minnesota Vikings beat reporter at the St. Paul Pioneer Press, is leaving to cover the Denver Broncos in Colorado.
Tomasson announced the news Thursday morning, announcing this would be final week at the Pioneer Press before he returns to Colorado to work for the Denver Gazette.
It’ll be his second stint in Colorado, having previously worked for a decade at the Rocky Mountain News.
Personal news: This is my last week at the Pioneer Press. I will be covering Broncos for the Denver Gazette. Woody Paige is a columnist there and it's an exciting opportunity. I return to Denver, where I once worked for a decade. I'm thankful to the Pioneer Press for my time here
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) March 16, 2023
Tomasson is known in the Minneapolis market as a relentless reporter unafraid of asking tough questions.
Days before Mike Zimmer was fired after the 2021 season, Tomasson asked Zimmer about his job status and the head coach snapped back: “No, I haven’t heard anything about my job status,” Zimmer said, pointing at Tomasson and adding, “I haven’t heard anything about yours, either.”
It was one of numerous collisions between Zimmer and Tomasson, who could potentially come face-to-face again given Zimmer is allegedly now part of Deion Sanders’ staff at The University of Colorado in Boulder.
And it wasn’t just the coach. In 2021, cornerback Bashaud Breeland took exception to Tomasson tweeting about his poor Pro Football Focus rankings.
Tomasson joined the Pioneer Press in 2013. Prior to that he covered the NBA for the Akron Beacon Journal, Rocky Mountain News and AOL FanHouse. He also covered the Miami Heat and Miami Dolphins for Fox Sports.
His departure from the Twin Cities media scene has sparked a flurry of tributes from local reporters.
Our beat will never be the same. Gonna miss you, Chris. Thank you for all the laughs, stories and milkshake bets along the way https://t.co/nNSQVpko4J
— Matthew Coller (@MatthewColler) March 16, 2023
“The milkshake bets were incredible. The random factoids were great. The knowledge of Stanley Cup winners won’t be topped. Congrats and enjoy the new gig!” said The Athletic’s Chad Graff.
Related: Vikings reporter lampooned for Harrison Smith/Prince tweet.
