With training camp around the corner, the conversation around the Minnesota Vikings is centered on the continuation and culmination of the quarterback battle between Kyle Murray and J.J. McCarthy. Murray is expected to be the guy, but until it's announced, McCarthy has a chance.
In terms of perceived roster voids that may need to be addressed before Week 1, edge rusher depth behind Andrew Van Ginkel and Dallas Turner stands out. There may be some internal solutions to that issue, but there's a lot of projection and hope there right now.
Matt Okada of NFL.com has offered the biggest remaining roster issue for each NFC team. For the Vikings, he went in a direction that may initially seem surprising.
"Tight end: Once upon a time (three years ago), T.J. Hockenson was a strong starting tight end. In two seasons since, he has totaled just 893 yards and three touchdowns. Vikings TEs accumulated the fourth-fewest receiving yards in the league in 2025. And they did nothing to improve the position this offseason. While Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings are a strong wide receiver trio, a lack of production at tight end lowers the ceiling for the Vikings and their yet-to-be-named starting quarterback."
It seemed likely that Hockenson would be a cap casualty this offseason. Instead, he was brought back with a revised contract. The arrival of Murray as the presumed starting quarterback, as it is for every Vikings' pass catcher, should be very good news in what is now a contract year for the Vikings' No. 1 tight end.
T.J. Hockenson is not the problem for the Minnesota Vikings at tight end
Hockenson has not been the same player since returning from the torn ACL he suffered late in the 2023 season. His role also changed last season, as he was called on to help out as a blocker more often than he ever had been in his career. Add that to lackluster quarterback play, and you get the kind of season he had in 2025.
The Vikings could have cut Hockenson this offseason, absorbed whatever balance sheet implications it came with (i.e., dead money), and been done with it. Finding a cost-efficient replacement would have been the follow-up move, obviously, but how much those options were explored is unclear.
Instead, with the acknowledgement that it takes two to tango that way, Hockenson was brought back with a pay cut and the final year of his original contract chopped off.
Looking at the tight end depth chart behind Hockenson, questions surface quickly.
Josh Oliver is a fine player, with latent potential if he ever had a bigger role, but he is not a TE1. Ben Yurosek performed well in a small sample as a rookie last year, but it would have been an aggressive projection to have him replace Hockenson atop the depth chart. 2025 sixth-round pick Gavin Bartholomew, after missing his entire rookie season due to injury, is as interesting as he is unproven.
Hockenson was the undeniable headliner of a disappointing 2025 season for the Vikings' tight ends. The decision to bring him back, or at least to make the effort before an agreement was reached to remodel his contract, speaks to the unanswered questions behind him on the depth chart more than anything else. A proven commodity was needed, and the known commodity became the answer.
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