T.J. Hockenson's absence opens door for Vikings TE Robert Tonyan
T.J. Hockenson's absence opens door for Vikings TE Robert Tonyan
The Minnesota Vikings were so impressed by how T.J. Hockenson performed after being obtained from Detroit at the trade deadline in 2022 that they rewarded him with a four-year contract extension last August that could be worth up to $68.5 million.
According to the Over The Cap website, Hockenson's $16.5 million average per season puts him second among NFL tight ends, trailing only the Chiefs' Travis Kelce, who averages $17.1 million.
While Hockenson is among the league's highest-paid tight ends, what is uncertain is when the Vikings will get a return on that investment in 2024. He suffered a torn ACL and MCL in a late-season loss to the Lions last season at U.S. Bank Stadium. Hockenson had to wait five weeks for the swelling in his right knee to go down before surgery could be performed and said in May that there was no timeline for his return.
Hockenson did some work with the Vikings' athletic training staff during the team's minicamp, but that's a long way from participating in football activities. There has been speculation he could miss a month or more to open the regular season.
The Vikings' top two wide receivers, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, are both dynamic, but Hockenson's pass-catching ability most definitely will be missed by Sam Darnold, who is expected to open the season as the team's starting quarterback.
Robert Tonyan primed to replace T.J. Hockenson
Hockenson, who will turn 27 on Wednesday, finished tied for third on the Vikings in receptions in 2022, despite playing in only 10 games with the team. He had 519 yards receiving and three touchdowns in becoming one of Kirk Cousins' main targets. Last season, Hockenson led the Vikings with 95 receptions for 960 yards (second) and five touchdowns (tied for second).
The short-term concern is who will replace Hockenson? The more important question is will he be able to return to his previous form once he does get back on the field? And if he can, does that come in 2024 or will it take until 2025?
The Vikings currently have six tight ends on the roster. The list includes rookie Trey Knox, Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse, Josh Oliver and Robert Tonyan.
Oliver was signed as a free agent by the Vikings in 2023 and is an outstanding blocker. Coach Kevin O'Connell called Mundt the best third tight end in the NFL during training camp last summer but asking a lot more from him could be risky. Muse was a seventh-round pick of the Vikings in 2022 and has appeared in 12 games over two seasons. However, he has only two offensive snaps and has primarily been used on special teams. Knox signed as an undrafted free agent out of South Carolina.
The most interesting name on this list -- as far as replacing Hockenson in the short term -- is Tonyan. He has had stops with every team in the NFC North and caught 11 touchdowns with the Packers in 2019 to tie Kelce for the NFL lead among tight ends.
The 30-year-old caught 137 passes for 1,437 yards and 17 touchdowns in 68 games over five seasons with the Packers before joining the Bears last year. He played in 17 games but had only 11 receptions for 112 yards, in part because Tonyan saw his playing time cut.
The 6-foot-5, 240-pound Tonyan will be in a position to grab more playing time if he can be relied on as a receiver. If that happens, Tonyan's one-year, $1.125 million contract could be a bargain.
Judd Zulgad is co-host of the Purple Daily Podcast and Mackey & Judd podcast at www.skornorth.com.
Make sure to check out our home page every day for the best and latest Minnesota Vikings news and analysis.