T.J. Hockenson might be a cut candidate for the Minnesota Vikings if they don’t prefer to restructure his contract this offseason. He’s the NFL’s fourth-highest-paid tight end, and Minnesota barely used him as a pass-catcher in 2025. Suppose the Vikings pull the plug on Hockenson. Well, they’ll need a new tight end. Consider these options the most likely.

The Vikings could face a tight end pivot if Hockenson’s situation changes, and the shortlist of realistic replacements is forming quickly.

Of course, this will all be moot if Hockenson sticks around, but here’s a glance at contingency plans.

Top Tight End Alternatives for Minnesota if Hockenson Moves On

Ranked from good to great, these are the post-Hockenson TE options if applicable.

5. Oscar Delp + a Vet

Most of the rookie tight ends near the top of the 2026 draftboard don’t block very well. And one of Kevin O’Connell’s prerequisites for a TE1 seems to be decent-to-good pass-blocking.

Delp, a Georgia Bulldog, is a compromise. He blocks well compared to his draft classmates, but probably won’t be drafted until Round 4 or later. In this scenario, the Vikings might have to sign a veteran tight end like Cade Otton as insurance, while hoping Delp matures faster than most to flirt with a TE1 role.

Of course, Minnesota doesn’t have a 2026 4th-Rounder right now. That belongs to the Carolina Panthers. O’Connell would have to reach for Delp in Round 3, trade back into Round 4, or hope he slides to Round 5.

Bleacher Report‘s Daniel Harms on Delp: “Oscar Delp is a vertical, seam busting tight end with explosive speed and three down upside for an NFL offense. He’s become a versatile blocker for the Bulldogs offense, and springs multiple runs a game for their offense.”

“Underutilized as a pass catcher, the 6’5″ 245-pound prospect showcases his burst after the catch by reducing pursuit angles by linebackers and defensive backs, regularly.”

4. A Trade for Michael Mayer

The Las Vegas Raiders employ two TE1s: Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer. That doesn’t make sense. The Raiders should trade Mayer for a 5th-Round pick or so, enabling him to reach his fullest potential and getting a draft pick back for their troubles.

Mayer isn’t the best blocking tight end imaginable, but he’s also not abysmal. Between Mayer, Josh Oliver, Gavin Bartholomew, and Ben Yurosek, the Vikings’ TE room would be in good hands.

3. Isaiah Likely

Likely, on the other hand, does not run- or pass-block, which may present a problem in Vikings free-agent scouting circles.

Still, the man is sitting on a breakout season for his next team — probably not the Baltimore Ravens, his current employer, that just extended Mark Andrews’s contract.

Likely also splashes big in the clutch, and if Minnesota veers away from its blocking criteria, Likely would be a fantastic passing game target for J.J. McCarthy or the unnamed Vikings QB1 in 2026.

His next contract will likely pay him around $9 million or $10 million per season.

2. Kyle Pitts

Want to know why Pitts was drafted so damn high in 2021? He literally does it all. He’s a freak athlete who catches passes like a top-tier wide receiver and blocks as effectively as George Kittle.

Pitts is the dream for any offense; it’s just that he never took off in Atlanta as a certified killer. Until that night he ruined your night when you played in the fantasy football playoffs in December.

A geographical cure could fix him, however, and teams will line up to pay Pitts next month. The Vikings may not have the money to spend on another Top 10 tight end, but if they do, Pitts is by far the best free-agent option.

His next deal will pay him about $12 million annually.

1. Kenyon Sadiq

Sadiq is trending as the only tight end to fly off the board in Round 1 this April. A product of Oregon, he’s an outstanding pass-catching threat and should see his future NFL team’s lineup in Week 1 of 2026.

At 6’3″ and 245 pounds, Sadiq has a significant advantage in that he is young; he won’t turn 21 until after the season begins. In 42 games at Oregon, he tallied 80 receptions for 892 yards and 11 touchdowns. Further showcasing his athleticism, he also returned kicks for the Ducks in 2023 and 2024.

His complete skill set fuels all buzz surrounding him as a potential 1st-Round pick. Sadiq is a reliable pass-catcher and an effective blocker for both runners and quarterbacks — a rare combination for a young tight end.

While Minnesota has plenty of draft needs, particularly on defense, fans would not be too mad if they took the plunge with Sadiq at No. 18. Or, at the very least, it wouldn’t take very long to warm up to the pick.

Manchester City advanced to the fifth round of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon but the performance against League Two Salford City was below par

Manchester City had a week to remember leading up to their FA Cup fourth-round tie against Salford City this weekend. It started at Anfield, a bogey ground for so long and with 15 minutes of normal time remaining, it looked like it would remain that way too.

But City dug deep and found a way to win as Bernardo Silva’s instinctive finish and an Erling Haaland penalty saw the Blues beat Liverpool on Merseyside, with fans, for the first time under Pep Guardiola. City then took that momentum and carried it into Wednesday night when Fulham were brushed aside before half-time.

The mood only got lighter on Thursday when Arsenal dropped points at Brentford to ensure the gap was cut to four with the two teams still set to meet each other in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium in April. When Guardiola sat down for his pre-match press conference, he was understandably happy but he explained his team was mentally and physically tired.

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However, he also insisted the standards which they demand every day should not alter, regardless of the opposition. “I try to knuckle it in the minds of the players that nothing is taken for granted and everything is difficult,” Guardiola said.

After the full-time whistle, Guardiola was insistent on one thing. Those standards had not been reached. “The only good news [is] that we go through. That’s all,” the City boss insisted. “It would be nice for me to say mentally we’re exhausted, we’re tired. It has been a tough two or three weeks for many reasons but it’s our job.

“We have to do what we have to do. The calendar says to play every few days. We just didn’t read where the spaces were and that’s why everything was flat and slow and not good.”

Arguably it was only James Trafford who managed to come away with any form of credit having made a couple of good stops to avoid a potentially nervier afternoon. But while none of the outfield players came away with much credit, two have potentially missed a big chance to give Guardiola a headache as we head towards what will be a busy March.

The first was Tijjani Reijnders. In December and over the Christmas period, the Dutchman showed the sort of goalscoring form City were hoping he would bring when he arrived from AC Milan.

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The Carabao Cup Final will see Arsenal v Manchester City at London’s Wembley Stadium this March.

But, with a host of players who can play in the 4-1-4-1 formation behind the centre-forward, you need to stand out when you get your chance. Unfortunately for Reijnders, he was too casual with the ball and he often saw the game breakdown when he chose the wrong option.

Where Reijnders can be forgiven is that he is still settling into English football, in his first season at a new club. Inconsistent performances can be expected.

More concerning, though, was Phil Foden’s display. City’s academy graduate was burnt out last season after a summer international tournament and there was signs earlier in the season, the midfielder could be returning to the lofty standards he sets himself.

However, the 25-year-old has not scored since December and his displays are more reminiscent of the Foden of 2024/25 rather than 2023/24. On Foden, Guardiola said after Salford: “I said many times, I have zero, zero, zero doubts, zero about Phil.

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“He has to recover himself good and just focus on playing football and going to fish. He loves fishing and that’s it.

“When he is that, Phil is back and will be back. It’s not 20 centuries ago when he was the best player in the Premier League. It was around the corner. It was not many seasons ago.”

But while Guardiola does not doubt Foden, it is hard to see a scenario where he starts against Newcastle United next weekend. Bernardo, Rayan Cherki and perhaps even Nico O’Reilly are ahead of both him and Reijnders at the moment.

Against Salford, those who do not play often had the chance to make a point to Guardiola. Especially the likes of Reijnders and Foden who provide an option in an area where the Blues are so well stocked.

Now they must wait for their next chance having missed a golden opportunity to give Guardiola something to think about.

Starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in lead roles, Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights is releasing in theaters on February 13, 2026. Based on Emily Brontë’s sole novel of the same title, the film is about the tragic and troubled love story of Catherine Earnshaw (played by Robbie) and Heathcliff (Elordi).

Growing up on the wild Yorkshire moors, their love becomes twisted by pride, jealousy, and social class. When Catherine chooses to marry the wealthy Edgar Linton, Heathcliff is driven by heartbreak and revenge. His bitterness starts to affect everyone around him, including the next generation of both families.

Wuthering Heights musical score is being composed by Anthony Willis. Meanwhile, the film includes original songs by the British singer Charlotte Emma Aitchison, better known as Charli XCX. There are a total of twelve tracks in the film, which include House ft. John Cale, Chains of Love and Altars.

List of Charli XCX’s songs featured in Wuthering Heights

Here is a list of all Charli’s songs featured in the film:

• House (feat. John Cale)
• Wall of Sound
• Dying for You
• Always Everywhere
• Chains of Love
• Out of Myself
• Open Up
• Seeing Things
• Altars
• Eyes of the World (feat. Sky Ferreira)
• My Reminder
• Funny Mouth

For Charli XCX, the decision to create the music for Wuthering Heights was less about a career move and more about a “creative reset.” Following the success of her 2024 album Brat, the British singer found herself exhausted by the neon-lit, party-centric persona she had built.

When she received a text from Fennell on Christmas 2024, just as the “Brat Summer” hysteria was finally cooling, it offered a way out. Fennell, a longtime fan who had previously used Charli’s Boys in Promising Young Woman, reached out with the script for Wuthering Heights to see if Charli had a response to it.

Fennell’s pitch was simple: she wasn’t looking for period-accurate folk music, but rather something that captured the “primal, sexual, and brutal” energy of Catherine and Heathcliff’s toxic bond. Charli read the script and was inspired by the lack of modern trappings: no cell phones, no sunglasses, just raw Yorkshire moors and human obsession.

The entire soundtrack album for the film was released the same day as the film on February 13, 2026. The lead single House featuring John Cale was released on November 10, 2025.

Who are in the cast of Wuthering Heights?

The film features Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi in lead roles of Catherine and Heathcliff. Given below is a list of other cast in the film:

• Shazad Latif as Edgar Linton
• Alison Oliver as Isabella Linton
• Hong Chau as Nelly Dean
• Ewan Mitchell as Joseph
• Martin Clunes as Mr. Earnshaw

Charlotte Mellington and Owen Cooper played the younger versions of the lead characters in the film.