Connect with us

Sports

T.J. Hockenson Out to Restore Reputation in 2026

Published

on

Advertisement

T.J. Hockenson reacts after scoring a touchdown during a Minnesota Vikings home game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) reacts after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Dec. 7, 2025. Hockenson celebrated in the second half after finishing the drive with a scoring catch as Minnesota’s passing attack found success at home. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.

When the Minnesota Vikings traded for T.J. Hockenson back in 2022, the early results were promising. Hockenson seemed to have the world at his feet as he put forward a case to be recognized as one of the best tight ends in football. Then disaster struck.

T.J. Hockenson Out to Restore Reputation in 2026

After a strong second half in 2022 following his trade from the Detroit Lions, T.J. Hockenson was well on his way to breaking the 1,000 receiving yards mark for the first time in his career.

Playing against his former team in Week 16 of the 2023 season, Hockenson sat on 960 receiving yards and five touchdowns – reaching 1,000 seemed a formality. Then the Vikings TE1 suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee – a devastating injury.

Advertisement
NFL: Minnesota Vikings at Seattle Seahawks
Nov 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) makes a catch during the second half against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

It was a catastrophic injury that not only ended that season in its tracks but also lingered well into the 2024 season. Hockenson went from borderline top five at his position to almost becoming a forgotten man.

The Vikings and Hockenson agreed on a restructured contract in March that would save the team $5.75 million in salary cap space and make Hockenson a free agent at the end of the season – a year early. It ended speculation that Minnesota was looking to release their TE1 who was due to be the highest-paid TE in the league this season.

Two Years of Struggle

T.J. Hockenson didn’t return from his injury until Week 9 of the 2024 season but would then go on to play in every game for the rest of the season. In those 10 games, Hockenson caught 41 of 62 targets for 455 receiving yards – respectable numbers for the number of games played.

There were a few bad drops that caught the eye but most notably, for the first and to date only time in his career, Hockenson didn’t score a single touchdown across the season.

Advertisement
Syndication: Detroit Free Press
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) misses an open pass during the first half of the NFL game at Ford Field in Detroit on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. © Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.

With a full preseason behind him, the hope was for a return to form for the Vikings TE1 in 2025. Hockenson did get back on the score sheet in 2025 with three touchdown catches. However, despite playing in 15 games his receiving yards actually dropped slightly to 438 from 51 receptions on 66 targets. That’s a humble 29.2 yards per game. From those statistics, something that sticks out to me is that in five extra games, Hockenson only got four more targets.

The offensive woes of the Vikings in 2025 stemmed from a complete disaster at the quarterback position, which saw three different starting QBs across the season (all of whom struggled). People jump to this fact when defending Justin Jefferson’s down season last year, but it is brushed aside when Hockenson is the subject at hand. 

Can Hockenson get Back to His Best?

Hockenson had some of his sharpness back in 2025 and his successful catch percentage of 77.3 was the highest of his career. Get accurate balls to him regularly and Hockenson will deliver. He also earned praise from the coaching staff for his blocking being the best it has been in his career so far.

Pro Football Focus recently ranked Hockenson as the 21st-best TE in football. At 29 years old, he should have plenty left in the tank and in a settled Vikings offense that needs to show much improvement from last year, there is no reason why he shouldn’t get himself back in the frame for a top 10 guy at his position.

With this now being a contract year with Hockenson playing for his future he should have all the motivation that he needs.

Advertisement

avatar

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Sports

Jeeno Thitikul trying to ‘beat the course’ in hot Open start

Published

on

Jeeno Thitikul is well aware of the conversation that surrounds her every major championship.

But that doesn’t mean she’s buying into it.

In a year where World No. 1 Nelly Korda won the first two majors and World No. 3 Haeran Ryu won the next two, Thitikul, the World No. 2, is still hunting for her first.

After a round in which Thitikul parred her first three and last three holes and birdied seven of the 12 in between them, she was willing to admit she was pleased with a strong performance in one of golf’s biggest events.

Advertisement

“I knew I hit some good shots, but some of the best shots luckily bounce over the pot bunker,” she said with a laugh. “When it’s your way, it’s really your way. And I knew I had a really good putter today, too.”

As for the big-picture question? Thitikul, who’s 23, demurred.

“It’s nothing. I feel like, I know that I haven’t won one yet, but I feel like I’m so young and then I still have I don’t know how many majors ahead of me,” she said. “I feel like one day it will come if I do my job, like keep improving at my job and then … when my game is ready, I’ll win it. Because when my time comes, it should be sweeter than what it felt.”

The key, Thitikul says, is not to show up thinking about the trophy at the end but focusing on the controllables.

Advertisement

“What I can control is if I’m beating the course every day, I should have a really good chance to be on the leaderboard,” she said. “Because, you know, if you can put a red number on your scorecard every day, which means you beat the course, right, and the golf course in a major week isn’t that easy to be beating.”

On Thursday, just 25 players from the 144-player field finished in red figures. Korda posted two-over 73, while Ryu sits among the group at five under par, T2.

Thitikul’s close calls are well documented; her top finishes at majors date back to her fifth-place finish at the 2021 Evian Championship. She’s logged 11 top-10s since then, her closest call coming in a playoff loss at last year’s Evian, when she lost to Grace Kim’s eagle on the second playoff hole.

She comes into this week in strong form, off consecutive top-10s in majors and with two tournament wins already this season, at the Honda LPGA Thailand and the Mizuho Americas Open.

Advertisement

Now comes her last and biggest test.

“I think majors really tests our games, mentally-wise, physically-wise,” Thitikul said.

So far, so good.

Advertisement

“>

Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Dolphin Grow a Garden guide

Published

on

The Dolphin is a Mythical pet introduced during Part 4 of the High Tide Harvest Event in Grow a Garden. Unlike most event pets that focus on harvesting or mutations directly, the Dolphin grants players a unique movement ability that can also help apply the valuable Tidal Mutation to nearby crops.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Dolphin pet in Grow a Garden.


How to obtain the Dolphin in Grow a Garden

A Gold mutated Dolphin (Image via Roblox || Grow a Garden Wiki)A Gold mutated Dolphin (Image via Roblox || Grow a Garden Wiki)
A Gold mutated Dolphin (Image via Roblox || Grow a Garden Wiki)

The Dolphin can be obtained directly from the Tide Token Shop, which is located inside the Summer Shop during the High Tide Harvest Event. It costs either 60 Tide Tokens or 249 Robux, allowing players to either grind the event or purchase it instantly.

Advertisement

If you’re planning to unlock it without spending Robux, you’ll need to earn Tide Tokens by participating in the High Tide Harvest Event. You’ll receive 1 Tide Token for every 1,000 Harvest Points you earn, making it important to continuously harvest crops and complete event activities to accumulate enough tokens before the event ends.


Dolphin stats in Grow a Garden

The Dolphin is a Mythical pet that requires 100,000 Hunger to become fully grown. Its passive ability is called Dolphin’s Grace. Every once in a while, the pet transforms your character into a Dolphin for a short duration. During this effect, you’ll receive a significant movement speed boost along with 4x higher jump height, making it much easier to move around your garden.

While you’re transformed, any fruits you pass have a chance to receive the Tidal Mutation, allowing you to increase their selling value simply by running through your farm.


Is the Dolphin worth getting?

Yes. The Dolphin is one of the more unique pets added during the High Tide Harvest Event because it combines mobility with mutation generation. The increased movement speed and jump height make harvesting and navigating large gardens much faster, while the chance to apply the Tidal Mutation gives it excellent long-term earning potential.

Advertisement

Although the passive activates only occasionally, the ability to mutate multiple fruits during each transformation makes the Dolphin a worthwhile pet for players looking to maximize profits throughout the event.


FAQs on Grow a Garden

How do you get the Dolphin in Grow a Garden?

The Dolphin can be obtained by hatching the Paradise Egg during Part 4 of the High Tide Harvest Event.

What rarity is the Dolphin?

The Dolphin is a Mythical pet.

What does the Dolphin’s Grace passive do?

It occasionally transforms your character into a Dolphin, granting increased movement speed, 4x jump height, and a chance to apply the Tidal Mutation to fruits you pass.

Advertisement

How much Hunger does the Dolphin require?

The Dolphin requires 100,000 Hunger to become fully grown.