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The Minnesota Vikings need to make decisions to get under the salary cap, and one potential casualty is veteran tight end T.J. Hockenson.
According to Spotrac, Hockenson carries a 2026 cap hit of roughly $21.6 million, and given his production in 2025, it’s no surprise he will either need to restructure his contract or the Vikings might need to part ways.
On the Feb. 16 edition of The Alec Lewis Show, Alec Lewis, the Vikings beat reporter for The Athletic, shared an update on the future of Hockenson.
“T.J. Hockenson’s cap number right now is around $21 million for 2026, which would be the highest cap figure among all tight ends in the NFL,” Lewis said.
“I think his 2025 season is pretty murky to evaluate because of the amount of work he had to do as a chipper on the edge, helping in pass protection and trying to lift the offensive line and protection to a certain floor. I also didn’t think that he probably had the most wiggle as a pass catcher in contested spots and wasn’t always the most reliable.”
Nonetheless, Lewis acknowledges that at times the Vikings asked Hockenson to contribute more in pass protection, but he doesn’t see the 28-year-old returning at his current cap hit.
“I can’t fathom that he plays on that $21 million cap number,” Lewis added. “The idea of having to replace him at tight end with someone who knows the system — you’d be taking a leap in doing that. You might be able to find someone who could fill that role, but, you know, how much are you paying them and what is the value there?”
Vikings Insider Gives T.J. Hockenson Prediction
While there’s uncertainty regarding Hockenson’s future with the Vikings, Lewis predicts that the veteran pass-catcher will be back in Minnesota next season at a lower cap number.
“What type of pay cut is he willing to take?” Lewis added. “Then how do those negotiations play out? If T.J. wants to be back, and if he’s willing to shave off some money, that would make sense. If he’s not, then maybe you’re forced to move on.
“But the way I project it now, even though from my perspective my projection would be that it is most likely that T.J. Hockenson would be on the team for 2026 at a different cap number.”
Jared Allen Doesn’t Hold Back on J.J. McCarthy
Hockenson’s ability to be impactful in the passing game is also affected by who will be Minnesota’s QB next season. Recently, former Vikings pass rusher Jared Allen didn’t hold back on current starter J.J. McCarthy.
“I’ll tell you, my biggest question mark right now is can [McCarthy] stay healthy?” Allen said on the Feb. 11 edition of “Up & Adams.” “He had some good games. They go on a four- or five-game win streak at the end. He started playing better football. But in the beginning, you see that fourth-quarter comeback in the Bears, and you’re like, ‘Okay, there’s something there.’
“Then they get stopped, and then same thing, they have a game where he starts bad and comes back. So I think he has some grit. I think he obviously has some good potential. But you’ve got to stay healthy. You’ve got to stay on the field in this league.”
Eduardo Razo Eduardo Razo is a sports writer for Heavy.com, covering the NFL, MLB, and college football. He has previously covered the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB for NBC Sports Washington and NBC Sports Bay Area & California, and has freelanced for PSG Talk, covering Paris Saint-Germain. He also worked as an editor at Athlon Sports, focusing on MLB and the NFL. More about Eduardo Razo
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