{"id":100572,"date":"2025-06-03T11:45:09","date_gmt":"2025-06-03T11:45:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/100572\/"},"modified":"2025-06-03T11:45:09","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T11:45:09","slug":"t-j-hockenson-is-primed-for-a-career-resurgence-with-j-j-mccarthy-under-center","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/100572\/","title":{"rendered":"T.J. Hockenson Is Primed For A Career Resurgence With J.J. McCarthy Under Center"},"content":{"rendered":"

T.J. Hockenson<\/a> is entering his fourth season with the Minnesota Vikings and has displayed inconsistent production.<\/p>\n

When Kwesi Adofo-Mensah traded for<\/a> Hockenson in the middle of the 2022 season, he was playing at an elite level. From Weeks 9 to 18, Hockenson tallied 60 receptions for 519 receiving yards, ranking 25th amongst all receivers. Aside from Travis Kelce<\/a>, who had an absurd 785 receiving yards with the benefit of catching passes from Patrick Mahomes<\/a>, Hockenson boasted the second-most yards of any tight end in that timeframe.<\/p>\n

T.J. Hockenson had quite the Christmas Eve stat line: 13 catches, 109 yards, 2 TDs \ud83d\udd25@TheeHOCK8<\/a> | @Vikings<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/sIlfEqSN8u<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NFL (@NFL) December 26, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

We haven\u2019t really gotten the best version of Hockenson since the 2023 season, when he had a career-high 960 receiving yards. In 2022 and 2023, Hockenson caught passes from Kirk Cousins<\/a>, a veteran quarterback who frequently targeted tight ends in the passing game. Since then, Hockenson has been less of a Mark Andrews-caliber tight end and more of a rich man\u2019s Kyle Rudolph<\/a>: a high-level complimentary piece who can make an impact but isn\u2019t the focal point of the offense.<\/p>\n

Jordan Addison<\/a>\u2019s gradual rise to prominence coincided with Hockenson\u2019s decreased usage. As Addison\u2019s confidence increased throughout his rookie year, Hockenson\u2019s target share decreased as Minnesota\u2019s coaches realized they no longer needed a heliocentric offense around Hockenson. Instead, he was one of Kevin O\u2019Connell\u2019s many options as a play caller. Great offensive minds like O\u2019Connell focus on players over plays. By the end of the 2023 season, it became evident that Addison<\/a> was a talent worth prioritizing over a tight end in Hockenson, who wasn\u2019t the same big-play threat.<\/p>\n

.@espn_jordan. TO. THE. HOUSE.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa: @ESPNNFL<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/MXcbsXdSoL<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 24, 2023<\/a><\/p>\n

Now the pendulum may be swinging in the opposite direction. Addison is facing a suspension for violating the league\u2019s substance abuse policy after he was allegedly found asleep<\/a> behind the wheel of his car, blocking an on-ramp just outside of Los Angeles International Airport. Addison\u2019s potential suspension could lead to more opportunities for Hockenson in the passing game. Can Hockenson reassert himself as Minnesota\u2019s second option on offense with J.J. McCarthy<\/a> under center, or are Hockenson\u2019s days of being a top-five tight end in the rearview mirror?<\/p>\n

Hockenson finally benefits from a fully healthy offseason heading into 2025, after suffering a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee against the Detroit Lions on a controversial hit by safety Kerby Joseph<\/a> at the end of the 2023 season. Some argue that Joseph was at the mercy of constantly changing tackling rules that penalized defenders for hip-drop tackles,<\/a> thereby forcing defenders to aim for the knees when tackling. Others believe that Joseph went out of his way to intentionally hurt opposing players, as evidenced by Tyler Higbee<\/a>\u2019s season-ending ACL injury the following week after another Joseph hit.<\/p>\n

If Higbee\u2019s MRI confirms what is expected, this will be the 2nd torn ACL to a TE (Hockenson) this season as a result of a hit from Lions S Kerby Joseph. Dirty? https:\/\/t.co\/AOv9ijNj0P<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/tu6XnD7iLd<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ACL Recovery Club (@ACLrecoveryCLUB) January 15, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n

Regardless of Kerby Joseph<\/a>\u2019s intent, a torn ACL and MCL in the same knee can have a catastrophic impact on a player\u2019s career. Those kinds of injuries can bring an athlete\u2019s prime to a screeching halt. It\u2019s fair to wonder whether or not Hockenson is the same caliber of player he was three years ago, especially considering that his production declined last year. While it was expected that his volume stats would be lower in 2024 after missing the first half of the season, Hockenson\u2019s reduced efficiency has become concerning.<\/p>\n

On a per-game basis, Hockenson averaged 6.20 targets, 4.10 receptions, and 45.5 yards, all of which are career lows since the trade. At his best in 2023, Hockenson averaged 8.47 targets, 6.33 receptions, and 64.0 yards. I would argue that Hockenson\u2019s production fell in 2024 because Sam Darnold<\/a> preferred to target wide receivers on longer-developing routes downfield rather than getting the ball out quicker over the middle of the field to his tight ends.<\/p>\n

\u201cHE\u2019S HOLDING IT TOO LONG! THROW IT MAN!\u201d -Paul Allen<\/p>\n

Sam Darnold is sacked for the 5th time in 2 quarters <\/p>\n

Called by Paul Allen and Pete Bercich for KFXN in Minneapolis: pic.twitter.com\/YxtjXFcQ7e<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 will: Riley Greene Truther (@wrhiv_72) January 14, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

Darnold was not at his best as a passer on routes to the intermediate areas of the field, 10 to 19 yards from the line of scrimmage, where the Vikings often deployed Hockenson. Darnold completed 63.4% of his throws to the intermediate center of the field, which isn\u2019t bad. However, he struggled with completing passes to the intermediate left (57.9%) and intermediate right (34.6%) of the field. Darnold also held on to the ball for 3.08 seconds on average, the third longest among starting quarterbacks in 2024, per NFL NextGen Stats.<\/a><\/p>\n

However, I believe Hockenson is primed for a career resurgence in 2025 with J.J. McCarthy under center. Colston Loveland<\/a> was McCarthy\u2019s No. 1 target on offense at Michigan. The Chicago Bears took Loveland 10th overall, making him the first tight end selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. I don\u2019t expect Hockenson to usurp Justin Jefferson<\/a> to become Minnesota\u2019s primary receiving option. Still, Hockenson should benefit from McCarthy\u2019s tendency to get the ball out quickly and target the intermediate areas of the field often, like Kirk Cousins<\/a> did in 2023.<\/p>\n

McCarthy completed 92.4% of his intermediate passes from 10 to 19 yards out in 28 career starts at Michigan. That\u2019s the second-highest percentage among first-round prospects from the 2024 quarterback class, trailing only Bo Nix<\/a>, who completed 94.7% of his intermediate passes. Not only could Hockenson see more targets in the intermediate passing game, but Kevin O\u2019Connell<\/a> expressed<\/a> his desire to run the ball more frequently.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve thrown the ball at a pretty world-class effective clip for three years with Kirk Cousins and Sam Darnold last year. I want to run the football.\u201d O\u2019Connell said.<\/a> \u201cI want to get back to the truest nature of where the foundation of this offense was, which is running the football, marrying the run and the pass, generating explosives that way, and trying to be an effective early-down offense that can sustain for 17-plus weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

Running the ball at a higher frequency could lead to more 12-personnel, which bodes well for Hockenson\u2019s statistical outlook in 2025 \u2014 especially if Addison is suspended for the first three weeks of the season, leaving Jalen Nailor<\/a> as the presumed WR2 in two-tight-end sets. The talent gap in the passing game between Nailor and Hockenson is significant. At that point, it would be fair to say that Hockenson would be the second option on offense over Nailor<\/a> and Josh Oliver<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The past two years have been turbulent for T.J. Hockenson. A devastating knee injury, a lack of continuity at quarterback, and the ascension of Jordan Addison have hampered his production. This is Hockenson\u2019s first offseason program where he\u2019s fully healthy, so I expect him to hit the ground running and build chemistry with J.J. McCarthy. Hockenson\u2019s involvement in the offense will be critical in 2025, especially with Addison\u2019s suspension looming. All these factors lead me to believe that Hockenson is in prime position to become Minnesota\u2019s second option again.<\/p>\n

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