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Sports

Vikings’ Big Bet on T.J. Hockenson Is Officially On

Published

2 weeks ago

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Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson in a win over the Bengals in 2025
Sep 21, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end TJ. Hockenson (87) catches a touchdown bass in front of Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Josh Newton (28) during the second half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.

This offseason, the Minnesota Vikings had plenty of cap considerations to manage as they looked to get compliant and reshape the roster.

Among those that seemed somewhat likely to move on from veteran tight end T.J. Hockenson.

Hockenson Must Prove He Still Belongs Near the Top

It’s not as though Hockenson isn’t a legitimate threat in the passing game or can’t provide value in Kevin O’Connell’s offense. It’s more about the reality that he’s an expensive asset, and one that has not lived up to expectations of late.

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Acquired from the Detroit Lions four years ago, there was plenty of hype when he came to replace the injured Irv Smith Jr. He lived up to the hype in year one with 960 yards and five touchdowns. Then the receiving total was halved in 2024, and he failed to find the end zone.

T.J. Hockenson runs after a catch against Falcons safety Billy Bowman Jr.
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) carries the ball after a reception while defended by Atlanta Falcons safety Billy Bowman Jr. (33) during second-half action on September 14, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. Hockenson’s ability to gain yards after the catch remained central to Minnesota’s passing attack as the Vikings worked to establish offensive rhythm. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images.

Last season, Hockenson returned from his devastating knee injury and played in 15 games for Minnesota. He scored three touchdowns but contributed a career-low 438 receiving yards. Despite being on the chopping block, Minnesota opted to keep him around, and now he’s the fifth most expensive player on the Vikings roster.

This season, the Vikings will have arguably the best receiving corps they have had since going three-deep with Randy Moss, Cris Carter, and Jake Reed. They have athletic running backs in Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and the speedy Demond Claiborne. They also have Hockenson back at tight end.

T.J. Hockenson celebrates a touchdown with Justin Jefferson during a Vikings game against the Bengals.
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson celebrates with wide receiver Justin Jefferson after catching a touchdown pass against the Cincinnati Bengals at U.S. Bank Stadium. During the Sep. 21, 2025, home matchup in Minneapolis, Minnesota’s offense continued to roll behind its top playmakers in an important early-season NFC campaign. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images.

Kyler Murray, assuming he’s the starting quarterback, will have no shortage of options to target. Hockenson should be a safe and reliable checkdown. He must prove that he is still capable of that, and can’t disappear for another year or another season. Hockenson is too expensive to be an afterthought offensively, and he’s unlikely to see a substantial market next offseason at 30 if things don’t trend back upwards.

Minnesota decided they didn’t want to prioritize a rookie like Kenyon Sadiq, and they didn’t want to reallocate Hockenson’s funds through a release. They have to hope they are right, and Hockenson is the only one who can prove it to them.

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Ted Schwerzler is a Minneapolis based blogger that covers the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. Sharing thoughts constantly on Twitter, … More about Ted Schwerzler

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Sports

She has scored a lot of runs there

Published

3 minutes ago

on

10 June 2026

By

Cricketer-turned-commentator Aakash Chopra has opined that India’s chances of winning the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 could depend on how they fare in the Powerplay overs. He highlighted that Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma could control the game with the bat, pointing out that the Indian vice-captain has an excellent record in England.

The Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 will be played in England from Friday, June 12, onwards. India will begin their campaign with a clash against Pakistan on Sunday, June 14.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the former India batter reckoned that the opening combination of Mandhana, especially considering she likes batting in English conditions, and Shafali could be among the keys to India’s prospects in the global T20 event.

“The Indian girls have won the 50-over World Cup. Can they win the 20-over World Cup? That’s the big question. It’s a good team. Where do you win T20 games? One is if you control the Powerplay with the bat and with the ball. With the bat, Shafali Varma’s consistent avatar is very, very good,” Chopra said.

“Smriti Mandhana will be there with her. Smriti Mandhana in England is another beast altogether. She has scored a lot of runs there. So, Smriti Mandhana and Shafali Verma, as your Powerplay players, can actually control the game. One of them should bat deep into the innings, which they can,” he added.

Chopra noted that the onus will be on Richa Ghosh and Harmanpreet Kaur to make the most of the death overs with the bat.

“Then followed by Yastika Bhatia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur, and Richa Ghosh. The last five overs’ responsibility will be on Richa Ghosh and Harmanpreet Kaur. You will expect Deepti Sharma to continue playing as attackingly as she has started doing in the WPL. It seems like we are actually quite set in batting. We are as good as any other World Cup team in batting,” he observed.

Smriti Mandhana has amassed 4,333 runs at an average of 29.88 in 160 T20I innings. She has a much better record in England, having scored 650 runs at an average of 38.23 in 19 innings.

“Since it’s England and it would swing, Renuka Singh Thakur’s value increases” – Aakash Chopra on India’s bowling heading into Women’s T20 World Cup 2026

In the same video, Aakash Chopra noted that the focus will be on Renuka Singh Thakur, especially considering the seamer-friendly English conditions, Arundhati Reddy, and Kranti Gaud with the ball in the Powerplay overs.

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“In bowling, again, the Powerplay overs, whether it’s Renuka Singh Thakur, Arundhati Reddy, or Kranti Gaud, the focus will be on them. Even if Nandani Sharma plays, she will have a bigger role in the death overs. Since it’s England and it would swing, Renuka Singh Thakur’s value increases,” he said.

The analyst added that India’s middle-over and death-over performances with the ball could define how far they reach in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026.

“Death overs, that will be the big challenge, because we get our spinners to bowl the death overs many times. How we bowl in the death overs might actually define. We might end the Powerplay on equal terms, but can we grab them with spin in the middle overs, and whether we can bowl well in the death overs, I think that will be the defining part,” Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra opined that India have the team to beat South Africa and Australia in the Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 group phase, and then go on to win the tournament. He added that winning the 50-over and 20-over World Cups together will be a different kind of domination.