Since coming to the Minnesota Vikings at the 2022 trade deadline, tight end T.J. Hockenson has averaged 52.2 receiving yards and 5.4 catches per game. That peaked in 2023, when he averaged 64 yards and 6.3 catches per game. A torn ACL late that season has impacted his production since.
Hockenson had 38 yards on a season-high six catches against the Cleveland Browns in Week 5. Carson Wentz, taking over under center for an injured J.J. McCarthy, had the expected impact on his target share (17 targets over the last three games), but Hockenson has yet to get to 50 yards in a game this season.
The litany of injuries that have hit the Vikings' offensive line is well-known at this point. Right guard Will Fries is the only projected starter not to miss a game thus far, so it's fair to say it's been all-hands on deck to help with blocking when applicable.
With that in mind, after the Vikings' win over the Browns in London, head coach Kevin O'Connell talked about Hockenson's altered role without being asked about it.
"We're asking a lot of him right now that doesn't necessarily coincide with him being one of the best route-running tight ends in the NFL.
There's some sacrifice going on, all across our football team, to do whatever is required to win one game. And that mentality can be a powerful thing as we inevitably start to get some guys back."
Minnesota Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson is being asked to block more than ever has
According to Pro Football Focus, Hockenson has been used as a pass blocker on 6.4 percent of his pass play snaps this season.
In the previous two seasons, that percentage was 3.6. It might not seem like a big difference, but it's more than a 77 percent increase, and it correlates to a reduction in the number of routes Hockenson is running. Fewer routes + fewer opportunities to earn target-less production.
When the Vikings come out of their bye week, a healthier offensive line and the passing game getting on a better track will only help Hockenson's production improve.
An offense with a lot of mouths to feed will keep him from the kind of per-game production he had in his first full season as a Viking, but his current yardage pace (520 yards) should be left in the dust fairly easily.