A Vikings Pass Catcher Sails into Perfect Storm for a Trade
In T.J. Hockenson, the Vikings appear to have a trade candidate.
The Vikings pass catcher has cooled off in recent years, largely due to recovering from a serious knee injury that ended his 2023 season. He hasn’t been the same player since the dirty hit that sent him to the infirmary for many months. Boasting a new GM, Nolan Teasley, means welcoming a certain degree of change. Quite possibly, the change could manifest itself in moving on from Mr. Hockenson.
Vikings Pass Catcher T.J. Hockenson as a Trade Candidate
A few factors are working against Hockenson.
The well-paid tight end isn’t an assassin when it comes to scoring. His single-season high for touchdowns comes in at just 6. Worse yet, Hockenson isn’t particularly explosive. Or, at least, he’s not used in a manner where he generates explosive gains. He averaged a measly 8.6 yards per catch last year. Finally, there’s Hockenson’s ability as a blocker, or lack thereof. He has demonstrated improvement but he’s not getting paid meaty money due to being an average blocker.
And then there’s the GM factor.
Already, newcomer Nolan Teasley has been making moves. Some of these decisions have involved front office shuffles but he has made some roster tweaks, as well. More time in the captain’s chair will better equip Teasley to make a major swing, if desired.
Per Over the Cap, T.J. Hockenson carries a $15,605,000 cap charge into the season. That’s a cap hit that arrives after the move to lower his overall compensation but at the cost of setting him free a year early, thereby allowing him to venture into free agency while he’s still in his late-20s.
Quite possibly, an explosive season will mean being able to land another huge contract before his career is done. Hockenson is working in what is essentially a prove-it year.
Do note, though, that a trade would free $10,250,000 for the Minnesota Vikings. Moreover, a draft pick(s) — think something on Day 3 — would come back, further bolstering the ammunition ahead of the 2027 NFL Draft. More young talent in the pipeline is precisely what these Vikings need, so Teasley will be keen to add picks.
Teasley’s decision therefore involves conducting a cost/benefit analysis.
Quite possibly, a team or two will have interest in acquiring T.J. Hockenson. At this stage, the tight end is a steady player who isn’t the fantastic athlete he was back in 2022 and 2023. He is nevertheless a player with a great build alongside soft mitts, allowing him to be a nice companion for a passer in need of another option for the aerial attack.
Teasley’s task involves seeing if the added draft resources and cap space are worth it. Doing so means having an accurate assessment of how much the TE1 will help the Vikings in the upcoming season before deciding on saying goodbye or rallying around the veteran for another year.
For whatever it’s worth, a new GM often shows less loyalty to players upon entering the mix. Think back to how Kwesi Adofo-Mensah moved on from talents such as Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks, Anthony Barr, Patrick Peterson, Adam Thielen, and others after taking over. So, too, could Teasley make some subtractions involving well-paid veterans who aren’t as formidable as in the games of yesteryear.
T.J. Hockenson is listed at 6’5″ and 250 pounds. At 28, the tight end still has several years of ball ahead of him, but there are concerns about whether his best days are behind him.
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