Earlier this offseason, the Minnesota Vikings made a telling decision on the future of TE T.J. Hockenson.
Tom Pelissero initially shared the change to his contract in 2026 earlier this offseason.
“The Vikings have restructured the contract of tight end T.J. Hockenson, lowering his cap number by $5 million and keeping him in the fold for 2026, sources tell me and Ian Rapoport.”
The Vikings made Hockenson’s deal cheaper, opening up some cash to make some other moves on the roster during free agency. This structure change also eliminated the 2027 year from the contract. Hockenson will now be a free agent after the 2026 season instead of after 2027.
Now, it is up to him to see if he will get a solid payday next offseason, but he will have some hurdles to jump.
Vikings’ T.J. Hockenson Gets Reality Check Ahead of Final Year on Contract
GettyT.J. Hockenson #87 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts during the second quarter against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on January 05, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
Luke Norris of FanSided recently noted some of the hurdles Hockenson has to face in a year he needs to perform.
“His contract was ultimately restructured, but in addition to Hockenson taking a pay cut of $5 million, he also had the final year of his contract deleted, thus making him a free agent once this 2026 campaign concludes.
So, there’s certainly some pressure to perform, as he’s now playing for a new deal in 2027, whether with the Vikings or someone else. And whether it’s Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy under center this season, that could prove difficult. Yes, Hockenson will get his touches, but not only is he battling Jefferson and Jordan Addison for targets as he has been the last few years, but Jauan Jennings will certainly be looking for plenty of passes thrown in his direction as well.
We now just have to sit back and wait to see how things play out.”
Hockenson has a lot of offensive playmakers to share touches with. On his bright side, if Kyler Murray is to be the starter, then he may see some more touches. Murray loves getting the tight end the ball.
Whoever is the starter, Hockenson needs to have a big year. It may be his final year with the Vikings, but he can still earn himself a hefty contract somewhere else if he balls out in 2026.
Dallas Turner Gets Huge Message from NFL.com
GettyMINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA – DECEMBER 25: Dallas Turner #15 of the Minnesota Vikings is congratulated by Harrison Smith #22 after a tackle against the Detroit Lions during the fourth quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium on December 25, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
NFL.com Special Projects Lead Tom Blair recently gave some flowers to Dallas Turner.
“Turner didn’t do much in 2024 after being drafted 17th overall, appearing in 16 games as a rookie but playing just 28 percent of Minnesota’s defensive snaps and mustering a paltry three sacks. His eight-sack effort last season sort of snuck by me, with 4.5 of those coming between Weeks 13 and 18, when the Vikings were mostly playing out the string on the remainder of a lost season.
Turner’s encouraging sophomore effort came into better focus when I was digging deeper into a slightly bizarre (but positive!) speculative case I was building about his team. Thanks to Jonathan Greenard‘s exit via trade, it is looking like Turner’s, uh, turn to show what he can really do. So don’t be like me; start appreciating Turner now, before it’s too late.”
The Vikings will need Dallas Turner to pull through after parting ways with a player like Jonathan Greenard. Minnesota will also want to start seeing some productivity out of their 2024 first round selections, whether it be Turner or J.J. McCarthy.
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