Minnesota Vikings Tight End Quietly Sitting on Big Season?

Just in case you’ve had your head buried in the sand, let me be the first to tell you that Minnesota Vikings training camp is already cooking along at TCO Performance Center in Eagan.

By all accounts, JJ McCarthy is off to a hot start. Others in the QB room, not so much. Other standouts early on include Josh Metellus, who has been participating fully so far, despite his ongoing contract negotiations.

Jalen Nailor, who seems to have a pretty tight grip around WR3, is looking bigger, faster and stronger than ever. Ivan Pace Jr returned a Sam Howell interception for a touchdown on day one of practice Wednesday and rookie Kobe King looks like he is on the fast track earning a 53-man roster spot.

But within all the hype surrounding JJ McCarthy and some of the new faces on defense, key staples of the Vikings’ regular season plan seem to get lost in the shuffle sometimes.

TJ Hockenson sitting on a sneaky big season for Minnesota Vikings?

In 2025, now fully recovered from the injury that kept him on the sidelines for the start of 2024, TJ Hockenson is another guy who seems to have had a very productive offseason, which included a visit and multi-day workout with his new redshirt rookie quarterback.

Early on at training camp, their budding relationship and increasing rapport seems to be showing up during practice, which has NFL Draft and fantasy football expert Thor Nystrom, along with the guys over at SKOR North, projecting sneaky big things for TJ Hockenson this season.

“I think my brethren in the fantasy football cottage industry, in that community, still have not woken up to what TJ Hockenson is going to do this year. It’s just such a good fit with him in this offense, with JJ McCarthy and McCarthy’s prerogative.

When you have TJ Hockenson out in the seam…all JJ needs you to do, let’s say it’s an inbreaking concept, you just have to get inside leverage, right? Like, if he can get inside leverage on a quick hitter, JJ’s going to get that ball there with heat rings coming off it right on the hands and you’re not going to fight through a guy like Hockenson.

Thor Nystrom – Purple Daily (SKOR North)

Related: JJ McCarthy Reveals New All-Time Favorite Teammate

Last season, TJ Hockenson played just 10 of the Minnesota Vikings’ 17 games. When he returned, he was not the same guy who caught 95 passes for nearly 1000 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2023. But if he really is feeling good, Hockenson is one of the league’s most productive tight ends, and still very much in his prime.

Why a Hockenson breakout makes sense

At 28 years-old, reports out of camp have Hock looking a lot more like his old self. And as Thor pointed out during the video above, JJ McCarthy had a history of success throwing to talented tight ends at Michigan, where in his final season, Colton Loveland caught 45 passes for 649 yards and 4 touchdowns for the Wolverines.

Healthy TJ Hockenson is a Top 3 TE in football pic.twitter.com/t1P0kzsr1a

— 𝙆𝙖𝙨𝙚 (@verysadvikings) June 18, 2025

And if opposing defenses aren’t going to give Hockenson the respect he deserves, expect McCarthy to give him the ball repeatedly, until they are forced to protect the middle of the field. And when they finally do… then you have one-on-one with Justin Jefferson and/or Jordan Addison on the outside.

Like you’re mentioning, [Hockenson has] the enormous frame, he’s a rugged guy, has the play strength, that’s a free completion [over the middle], and you’re going to see it over and over and over again.

And once the defense has to address the middle of the field because [they’re] getting paper cut to death, now we’re getting free one-on-one shots downtown to to one of the NFL’s best top two receiving cores.

Thor Nystrom – Purple Daily (SKOR North)

In theory, Thor is 100% correct, which goes back to the real luxury of this Minnesota Vikings offense. Between Jefferson, Addison, Hockenson, Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, JJ McCarthy has more elite weapons to help get him through his redshirt rookie season than just about any young quarterback to ever start a game in the NFL.

And the further along we get through camp, I have a feeling that our confidence in his ability to deliver, when needed, just like we saw him do over and over again at Michigan.