Against the Detroit Lions last week, the Minnesota Vikings were without Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson, but they still managed to walk off the field inside U.S. Bank Stadium with a convincing 23-10 win.
Hockenson was out of action in the victory over his former team due to an injured shoulder that he suffered in Minnesota's Week 16 win over the New York Giants.
Well, it seems like that injury could end up keeping the veteran sidelined again when the Vikings take on the Green Bay Packers this weekend. Minnesota released its first injury report for Week 18 on Wednesday, and it revealed that Hockenson was a non-participant because of his injured shoulder.
Has T.J. Hockenson already played his final snap with the Minnesota Vikings?
Especially since the game is meaningless for both the Vikings and Packers, it seems unlikely that Hockenson will be suiting up for Sunday's NFC North battle, which would close the door on a 2025 season that has been very underwhelming for the veteran tight end.
In 15 games this year, Hockenson has caught 51 passes for just 438 yards and three touchdowns. After ranking as a top-10 tight end in the NFL in terms of overall PFF offensive grade during his previous three seasons, Hockenson's PFF offensive grade this year ranks 44th out of 75 qualifying tight ends.
In 2026, Hockenson is scheduled to have a cap hit of $21.4 million, which is currently the second-highest cap hit among all tight ends in the league for next season. Minnesota is going to be in desperate need of cap space this offseason, and they would free up almost $9 million by releasing the veteran tight end in 2026, so his departure definitely should not be ruled out as a possibility.
Are the chances high that the Vikings will cut Hockenson in the upcoming offseason? At this point, there haven't been any notable signs or reports pointing to this actually happening, but don't be surprised if Minnesota attempts to adjust his current contract in some way in order to make his 2026 cap hit a little more tolerable.