Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson is no longer being drafted as a weekly difference-maker, which is probably where his 2026 appeal starts. He caught 51 of 66 targets for 438 yards and three touchdowns in 15 games last season, his lowest yardage total since his rookie year. Minnesota's offense was a mess around him. Three quarterbacks started, the line cycled through 26 combinations, and Hockenson's routes were reduced because he had to stay in and help in protection. The setup is better, not clean. J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray will split first-team work early in camp, while Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jauan Jennings leave plenty of competition for targets. Hockenson remains the Vikings' lead receiving tight end after restructuring his contract, though he played only 69% of the offensive snaps last year. RotoBaller lists him at TE22 with an ADP of 161.6. That is late enough to take a chance, but managers should pair him with another tight end rather than count on a full return to form
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson did not suddenly stop being an elite dynasty asset because 2025 went sideways. The touchdowns vanished. He scored only twice, and Minnesota cycled through J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer while Jefferson finished with 84 catches for 1,048 yards on 141 targets. It was his worst full season, yet he still cleared 1,000 yards for the sixth time in six years. One season earlier, he posted 103 receptions, 1,533 yards, and 10 scores. The quarterback question remains, with McCarthy and Kyler Murray headed for a camp battle, while Jauan Jennings joins Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson in a deeper group of pass-catchers. None of that changes the larger point. Jefferson turned 27 in June, remains under contract through 2028, and sits fourth in RotoBaller's dynasty wide receiver rankings. He will cost plenty. For a contender with depth to spare, though, this is the rare moment to see whether a frustrated manager will move him. Rebuilders should hold unless the return includes another cornerstone asset
It’s getting closer, folks. We’re about three weeks or so from the start of training camp for the Minnesota Vikings, and that means the lists are getting more and more prevalent around the sports media world. We’ve gotten a set of roster rankings to chew on, and if you’re trying to find the purple on it, you’re going to have to do a bit of scrolling before you find our favorite team. ESPN has ranked the rosters of all 32 teams from best to worst, and they have our squad ranked at #22. That’s not really where we’re accustomed to seeing them, to be honest, and it’s a bit of a shock to see them that low. Let’s break down what they have to say about the Vikings, shall we? Biggest strength : Pass catchers. Receivers Justin Jefferson , Jordan Addison and newcomer Jauan Jennings and tight end T.J. Hockenson form a terrific group of targets for whoever wins the QB job. Even in a down season (no fault of his own), Jefferson delivered his sixth consecutive season with 1,000-plus receiving yards in 2025 and remains arguably the league’s best wide receiver. Addison produced 875-plus receiving yards and nine-plus TDs in his first two seasons before the QB woes of 2025. Jennings broke out in 2024 with the 49ers and has a 132-1,618-15 receiving line over the past two seasons. Hockenson’s stats have been down the past two seasons, but the 29-year-old remains one of the league’s best two-way tight ends. It’s hard to argue this one. Jefferson and Addison were already one of the league’s best duos, and adding a player of Jennings’ caliber to be WR3 just gives the team an embarrassment of riches at the wide receiver position. Hockenson hasn’t been quite the same player since his knee injury, but he still has the ability to be an above-average tight end and can still present as a significant red zone thread. Josh Oliver , who isn’t mentioned in the ESPN breakdown, has also been a lot better than advertised as a pass catcher, in my opinion, and his blocking ability allows him to stay on the field and get more opportunities than a more traditional blocking tight end might otherwise get. Biggest weakness : Running back. It was a bit surprising that Minnesota did little to address this position after its running backs finished 30th in both rushing yards and scrimmage yards last season. Aaron Jones Sr . has been solid throughout his career, but he’s entering his age-31 season and ranked dead last among 65 qualified backs in forced missed tackle rate. Jordan Mason is an effective rusher (career 5.1 YPC) but isn’t a receiving option (28 career receptions). Undersized sixth-rounder Demond Claiborne was the team’s only offseason addition of note. Again, it’s a bit hard to disagree here. I know that Aaron Jones has been a warrior during his time here, but he’s starting to slow down a bit and really can’t be counted on to be a lead guy anymore. He’s going to work in tandem with Mason, who is a very good power runner and should be the primary goal-line option. Of course, given that this team seems to be allergic to running the ball inside the 10-yard line, that really doesn’t mean as much as it might on most teams. It’s going to be interesting to see what Claiborne brings to the table in this offense. He should get plenty of opportunities, and the team clearly liked him a lot in the pre-draft process. Hopefully he can force his way onto the field early. X factor for 2026 : Interior offensive line. Will Fries struggled last season at guard after signing a big free agent contract , with a sixth percentile pass block win rate. But he boasts upside, as does fellow guard Donovan Jackson , Minnesota’s first-round draft pick in 2025. Blake Brandel played 347 snaps at center last season in his first time playing the position in the NFL. He is expected to start there again in 2026. How those three players improve could play a big role in how much offensive success the Vikings have this season. Seriously, this could have been a copy-and-paste from any year for a
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According to overthecap, the Vikings currently have 13.1M in cap space for the 2026 season and 46.1M for the 2027 season. In 2027, as of today, the internal unrestricted free agents will be Brian O’Neill , Andrew Van Ginkel , Jordan Mason , Kyler Murray, Jauan Jennings , Blake Brandel , Aaron Jones , Isaiah Rodgers , Ivan Pace Jr , Carson Wentz , Eric Johnson, Johnny Hekker (who?), Ryan Van Demark , Andrew DePaola , and Jay Ward . The restricted free agents will be Jalen Redmond , Bo Richter , Dwight McGlothern , Josh Ross, and Kahlef Hailassie . They have a bunch of EFRAs which may or may not be on the team by next year which could be the case for a couple of the RFAs. These players have void years that could convert to dead money in 2027. Van Ginkel – 8.8M, Hockenson – 7.1M, Cashman – 3.1M, & Mason 2.4M. These players have dead money in 2027. Harrison Smith – 7.6M, Jonathan Allen – 4.67M, and Monkell Goodwine – 6.7M. I am hoping they get a deal done for O’Neill prior to or right around the start of training camp. His deal will take some out of the 2027 cap. It’s possible (maybe even probable) that they extend Van Ginkel at some point in order to utilize that 8.8M hitting the cap already. They could extend him and when you factor the signing bonus his cap hit in 2027 (void year charges) would and should be a little less. The new GM has a lot to do but obviously needs to see the season play out no? What are the chances the team will be competitive in 2026 and remain that way going forward? What steps should the take? Breaking down every NFL team’s offseason spending and most expensive free agent https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-teams-offseason-spending-most-expensive-free-agent/ Mandatory minicamps are wrapping up all around the league, which means it’s time for summer vacation for the NFL at large until training camps ring in the start of a new season at the tail end of July. That means now is a perfect time to assess all 32 NFL teams’ differing levels of spending in free agency this offseason as how the league looks today will probably be close to how it looks come July. It’s also worth spotlighting how many free agents all of the teams were able to reel in with money spent as well as highlighting the player they allocated the most cash toward in the 2026 offseason. Enjoy our spending breakdown for every NFL team this offseason. Minnesota Vikings Total free agent spending: $53.73 million Number of free agents signed: 10 Most expensive free agent signing: WR Jauan Jennings (One year for $8 million with $6.13 million fully guaranteed) The Minnesota Vikings were up against it from a salary cap perspective entering free agency, which hindered how active they were this offseason. Minnesota began around $43 million over the salary cap, but was able to clear up space with the retirement of offensive lineman Ryan Kelly, plus contract restructures for wide receiver Justin Jefferson , left tackle Christian Darrisaw and cornerback Byron Murphy . Trading edge rusher Jonathan Greenard to the Philadelphia Eagles also helped decrease the Vikings ’ financial issues. Cutting defensive linemen Javon Hargrave and Jonathan Allen were also subtractions the Vikings needed to make to their roster this offseason. While they weren’t big spenders, their most expensive free agent signing on an average per year basis — San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings — fills a key need. Minnesota lost speedster Jalen Nailor to the Las Vegas Raiders , but Jennings can certainly make up for some of the production lost in Nailor’s departure. Since 2024, Jennings’ 83 receiving first downs rank 28th in the NFL. Once 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy returned from injury in Week 11 in 2025, Jennings’ six receiving touchdowns from Week 11 to the end of the regular season were tied for the second most in the entire league. He’ll be a prime secondary weapon for whomever emerges in the quarterback battle between J.J. McCarthy and Kyler Murray. Bleacher
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Across 15 games in 2025, Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson recorded 51 receptions for 438 yards and three touchdowns on 66 targets. While Hockenson's numbers don't jump off the page, the Vikings got some of the worst quarterback play in the league in 2025 from the trio of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer. Minnesota's passing game should be significantly improved in 2026 following the offseason acquisition of veteran quarterback Kyler Murray. Still, Hockenson's production has been trending downwards in recent years, and he's now entering his age-29 season and the final year of his current contract with the Vikings. Minnesota also signed former San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings in free agency, who seems likely to take Hockenson's role as the tertiary pass-catcher in Minnesota alongside star wideouts Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Dynasty managers may want to consider selling Hockenson before his stock drops even further in 2026
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison's 2025 season got off to an unfortunate start, as he missed the first three games due to a suspension. The 24-year-old then posted the least productive year of his career upon his return, hauling in 42 receptions for 610 yards and three touchdowns on 79 targets across 14 games. Despite the underwhelming 2025 campaign, there may be reason for fantasy managers to buy in on an Addison bounce-back. The Vikings had one of the worst quarterback situations in the NFL last season with the trio of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer. Minnesota signed veteran signal-caller Kyler Murray this past offseason, who should bring a significantly higher level of stability to the team's passing game in 2026. Addison has proven he can be an explosive player in a competent offense, averaging 13.4 yards per reception and scoring 19 touchdowns over the first two years of his career. In dynasty formats, Addison profiles as a clear buy-low target for managers
The 2026 NFL season is a few months away, and the anticipation for week one is at an extremely high level. As the NFL Network has done their player consensus Top 100 ranking each year, Windy City Gridiron’s staff has put together a roundtable over the last few seasons of the best players in the NFC North. With six contributors pitching in for this year’s roundtable, there was a strong diversity of opinions that provided for some entertaining rankings. Before we get started, let’s set up the ground rules. Each WCG participant was asked to send their top 32 players in the NFC North. A player’s ranking determined how many points they would receive (32 points for first, 31 points for second, etc.), and the total points were added up to create the rankings. Note: Tiebreakers will be broken by whichever player appeared on more ballots. If that total is the same, then the tiebreaker will go to whichever player received the highest ranking on an individual ballot. If that scenario also does not result in a clear winner, ballot organizer Jacob Infante will break the tie. 11. Bears CB Jaylon Johnson 12. Bears TE Colston Loveland 13. Lions S Brian Branch 14. Packers S Xavier McKinney 15. Packers OT Zach Tom 16. Vikings OT Christian Darrisaw 17. Packers TE Tucker Kraft 18. Vikings EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel 19. Lions LB Jack Campbell 20. Lions S Kerby Joseph 21. Lions TE Sam LaPorta 22. Packers QB Jordan Love 23. Lions WR Jameson Williams 24. Packers RB Josh Jacobs 25. Bears EDGE Montez Sweat 26. Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper 27. Bears S Coby Bryant 28. Bears LB Devin Bush 29. Bears CB Kyler Gordon 30. Vikings OT Brian O’Neill 31. Vikings WR Jordan Addison 32. Bears G Jonah Jackson 33. Bears WR Luther Burden III 34. Bears WR Rome Odunze 35. Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson 36. Bears S Dillon Thieneman 37. Packers WR Jayden Reed 38. Vikings LB Blake Cashman 39. Lions DT Alim McNeill 40. Lions OT Blake Miller 41. Vikings WR Jauan Jennings 42. Bears RB D’Andre Swift 43. Packers WR Christian Watson 44. Packers DT Javon Hargrave 45. Vikings G Will Fries 46. Lions CB D.J. Reed Jr. 47. Packers DT Devonte Wyatt 48. Lions G Tate Ratledge 49. Packers LB Zaire Franklin 50. Vikings CB James Pierre Highest Ranking: 10 (Wiltfong) Last Year’s Ranking : No. 16 A Pro Bowler in three of his last four seasons, Jared Goff’s 18,206 passing yards since 2022 are the most of any quarterback in the NFL. He’s been consistently accurate for the Lions, surpassing at least a 65.0% completion percentage every season since his arrival in Detroit in 2021. He’s also graded in the top eight in PFSN QB Impact Scoring each of his last four seasons, with 2022 being the year that Ben Johnson became his offensive coordinator. Though the Lions took a step back with the departure of Johnson, Aaron Glenn, and numerous other coaches, Goff was as reliable as they came last year. Highest Ranking: 1 (Gooch) Last Year’s Ranking: No. 39 The first-place finish from Donald Gooch is enough to propel Caleb Williams into the top 10 of this list, but Williams would still finish high in these rankings with the love he got from other WCG voters. He finished in the top 10 in the NFL with 3,942 passing yards and 27 passing touchdowns, leading the league with six fourth-quarter comebacks and tying for the second-most game-winning drives at six. As he continues to develop, an even higher ranking could be in the cards for Williams next year. Highest Ranking: 7 (Orenchuk, Baugher, Mongo) Last Year’s Ranking: No. 20 Darnell Wright receives a much-deserved jump from 2024 to 2025, as he earned the first All-Pro recognition of his career last season. He allowed a career-low three sacks and 19 pressures on 638 pass-blocking snaps in 2025, solidifying himself as one of the best right tackles in the NFL. If he can cut down on penalties — he’s had 31 in his three seasons with the Bears — there’s no reason to think he can’t remain among the league’s elite for a long time
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The 2026 NFL season is a few months away, and the anticipation for week one is at an extremely high level. As the NFL Network has done their player consensus Top 100 ranking each year, Windy City Gridiron’s staff has put together a roundtable over the last few seasons of the best players in the NFC North. With six contributors pitching in for this year’s roundtable, there was a strong diversity of opinions that provided for some entertaining rankings. Before we get started, let’s set up the ground rules. Each WCG participant was asked to send their top 32 players in the NFC North. A player’s ranking determined how many points they would receive (32 points for first, 31 points for second, etc.), and the total points were added up to create the rankings. Note: Tiebreakers will be broken by whichever player appeared on more ballots. If that total is the same, then the tiebreaker will go to whichever player received the highest ranking on an individual ballot. If that scenario also does not result in a clear winner, ballot organizer Jacob Infante will break the tie. 21. Lions TE Sam LaPorta 22. Packers QB Jordan Love 23. Lions WR Jameson Williams 24. Packers RB Josh Jacobs 25. Bears EDGE Montez Sweat 26. Packers LB Edgerrin Cooper 27. Bears S Coby Bryant 28. Bears LB Devin Bush 29. Bears CB Kyler Gordon 30. Vikings OT Brian O’Neill 31. Vikings WR Jordan Addison 32. Bears G Jonah Jackson 33. Bears WR Luther Burden III 34. Bears WR Rome Odunze 35. Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson 36. Bears S Dillon Thieneman 37. Packers WR Jayden Reed 38. Vikings LB Blake Cashman 39. Lions DT Alim McNeill 40. Lions OT Blake Miller 41. Vikings WR Jauan Jennings 42. Bears RB D’Andre Swift 43. Packers WR Christian Watson 44. Packers DT Javon Hargrave 45. Vikings G Will Fries 46. Lions CB D.J. Reed Jr. 47. Packers DT Devonte Wyatt 48. Lions G Tate Ratledge 49. Packers LB Zaire Franklin 50. Vikings CB James Pierre Highest Ranking: 14 (Mongo) Last Year’s Ranking : No. 8 Kerby Joseph only appeared in six games last year due to injury, which makes it all the more impressive he still had three interceptions in 2025. He’s allowed a sub-60.0% completion rate in coverage each of his last three seasons, and he has a career allowed passer rating of just 66.2. There are concerns about his health heading into the new year, but when healthy, he’s one of the best safeties in the NFL. Highest Ranking: 9 (Wiltfong) Last Year’s Ranking: No. 47 Coming off the best year of his NFL career, Jack Campbell has had an eventful 12 months with a Pro Bowl appearance, a first-team All-Pro nomination, and most importantly, a big rise up these rankings. Campbell had 176 tackles in 17 games with 5.0 sacks, 9.0 tackles for a loss, and three forced fumbles. He ranked No. 3 in the NFL in PFSN LB Impact Scoring with a career high 90.7 score. Highest Ranking: 10 (Orenchuk) Last Year’s Ranking: No. 17 It’s slightly surprising we’ve gone this long without one, but Andrew Van Ginkel marks the first player to appear in all six of the WCG ballots. He had 11.5 sacks in 2024 for the Vikings, and though he missed five games due to injury, he still had 7.0 sacks last year. Additionally, his 10 pass deflections last season led all defensive linemen across the NFL. He’s an impact player in every sense of the word. Highest Ranking: 13 (Mongo) Last Year’s Ranking: No. 48 Before suffering a season-ending injury halfway through the year, Tucker Kraft was on pace for an All-Pro nod in 2025. His 61.1 receiving yards per game was the second-highest average among all NFL tight ends, and he led his position with a 90.9 PFSN TE Impact Score . He’s consistently improved over his three seasons in the league, and one could certainly argue that he’s not just the best weapon on the Packers’ offense right now, but one of the best tight ends in the game. Highest Ranking: 9 (Mongo) Last Year’s Ranking: No. 11 Over his last two seasons, Christian Darrisaw has missed a combined [... truncated ...]
The 2026 NFL season is a few months away, and the anticipation for week one is at an extremely high level. As the NFL Network has done their player consensus Top 100 ranking each year, Windy City Gridiron’s staff has put together a roundtable over the last few seasons of the best players in the NFC North. With six contributors pitching in for this year’s roundtable, there was a strong diversity of opinions that provided for some entertaining rankings. Before we get started, let’s set up the ground rules. Each WCG participant was asked to send their top 32 players in the NFC North. A player’s ranking determined how many points they would receive (32 points for first, 31 points for second, etc.), and the total points were added up to create the rankings. Note: Tiebreakers will be broken by whichever player appeared on more ballots. If that total is the same, then the tiebreaker will go to whichever player received the highest ranking on an individual ballot. If that scenario also does not result in a clear winner, ballot organizer Jacob Infante will break the tie. 31. Vikings WR Jordan Addison 32. Bears G Jonah Jackson 33. Bears WR Luther Burden III 34. Bears WR Rome Odunze 35. Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson 36. Bears S Dillon Thieneman 37. Packers WR Jayden Reed 38. Vikings LB Blake Cashman 39. Lions DT Alim McNeill 40. Lions OT Blake Miller 41. Vikings WR Jauan Jennings 42. Bears RB D’Andre Swift 43. Packers WR Christian Watson 44. Packers DT Javon Hargrave 45. Vikings G Will Fries 46. Lions CB D.J. Reed Jr. 47. Packers DT Devonte Wyatt 48. Lions G Tate Ratledge 49. Packers LB Zaire Franklin 50. Vikings CB James Pierre Highest Ranking: 22 (Wiltfong) Last Year’s Ranking : No. 28 Brian O’Neill has been a fixture of the Vikings’ offensive line since he entered the NFL in 2018. He missed three games due to injury in 2025 but allowed just two sacks in 446 pass-blocking snaps, which is a more than respectable amount at the right tackle position. He’s a two-time Pro Bowler entering his ninth year as a starter for Minnesota ; he’s earned a spot in the top 30 and made appearances in the top 32 of four of the six WCG ballots. Highest Ranking: 20 (Baugher) Last Year’s Ranking: No. 29 It’s tough to get a read on Kyler Gordon in these rankings, seeing as though he only played in three regular season games in 2025 due to injury. That said, he’s arguably one of the best nickel cornerbacks in the NFL when he’s healthy. Including his two postseason appearances, he allowed a completion percentage of 60.9%, which was his best mark in coverage to date. If he can stay healthy for a full year — or at least close to it — he has a chance to move back up these rankings next year. Highest Ranking: 23 (Gooch) Last Year’s Ranking: N/A (not in division yet) The Bears swapped out Tremaine Edmunds for Devin Bush in their linebacker room, and they struck with Bush while the iron was hot. He’s coming off a career year with 125 tackles, 7.0 tackles for a loss, 2.0 sacks, three interceptions (with two being returned for touchdowns) and eight pass deflections. His 86.8 PFSN LB Impact Score ranked No. 12 in the NFL and was the best score of his career thus far. He’ll look to bring that high level of athleticism and impact play over to Chicago after signing a lucrative deal. Highest Ranking: 21 (Mongo) Last Year’s Ranking: N/A (not in division yet) Kevin Byard is no longer on the Bears after his All-Pro campaign in 2025, but one could certainly argue they got younger, faster, and more versatile by replacing him with Coby Bryant. On the Super Bowl-winning Seahawks last season, Bryant had four interceptions and seven pass deflections, allowing a passer rating of 82.0, a mark which was actually better than Byard’s, in spite of the latter having three more picks. That speaks to Bryant’s superior consistency in coverage, which is something the Bears desperately need heading into 2026. Highest Ranking: 21 (Wiltfong) Last Year’s Ranking: N
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The NFL's international game expansion is highlighted with the San Francisco 49ers scheduled to play games in both Melbourne, Australia, and Mexico City. This decision is criticized for the excessive travel and impact on traditional scheduling, with the 49ers facing both the Rams and the Vikings in international matchups
The Carolina Panthers' tight end position represents a significant portion of their cap space, with Tommy Tremble accounting for the largest hit at $8 million. While players like Ja'Tavion Sanders and Mitchell Evans are on rookie contracts, the team has several other tight ends on one-year deals. The Panthers are currently ranked 15th in the league for cap allocation to tight ends, despite a perceived lack of elite talent at the position
After finishing as the TE5 or better in three of four seasons from 2020 through 2023, Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson has seen a steep decline in production, with his 5.8 fantasy points per game in 2025 the lowest output since his rookie season. Perhaps reassuringly, all of Minnesota's pass catchers shared a similar story in 2025, hampered by some of the worst quarterback play in the league, with J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer combining to throw only 17 touchdown passes on fewer than 3,200 yards. The Vikings have since signed Kyler Murray to a one-year deal, and his past affinity for involving his tight ends has contributed to four combined top-10 seasons from Zach Ertz and Trey McBride. The soon-to-be-29-year-old Hockenson avoided an influx of target competition when Minnesota opted to stand pat at the position in free agency. If he can survive what looks to be a deep tight end draft class, a later career resurgence isn't out of the question with him still slated to be a primary target-earner behind only Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison
