Kevin O'Connell defends T.J. Hockenson amid Vikings TE's quiet start

There's no denying that it's been an unusually quiet start to the season for Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson, at least from a statistical standpoint.

Hockenson averaged 51.9 receiving yards per game after coming over to Minnesota at the trade deadline in 2022. He really ascended the following season, in part due to Justin Jefferson missing time, and averaged 64 yards per game in 2023. Hockenson would've cruised to his first 1,000-yard campaign if not for an ACL injury in Week 15 of that year. Last year, he returned from the injury in November and averaged 45.5 yards per game the rest of the way.

Through five weeks this season, Hockenson is at 30.6 yards per game. He hasn't hit the 50-yard mark once and is averaging just 8.1 yards per reception, a career-low. His longest catch of the year so far went for just 14 yards.

On the surface, that may seem concerning for a guy in the second year of a four-year, $66 million deal. But when you think about it a bit, there are logical explanations for Hockenson's slow start.

Over the first two games, Hockenson had just four catches for 27 yards as J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings' entire offense struggled mightily for seven of eight quarters. His numbers have picked up a bit with Carson Wentz at the helm, but they still haven't returned to his career norms.

One reason for that could be that Hockenson has been needed as a pass-blocker more than usual due to the Vikings' injury woes on the offensive line. Over the past two seasons, Hockenson was used as a pass blocker on just 2.7 percent of his snaps, per PFF. This year, that's up to 6.8 percent. It's not a big difference, but it's not nothing either.

"We're asking a lot of him right now that doesn't necessarily coincide with him being one of the best route-running tight ends in the NFL," said head coach Kevin O'Connell, unprompted, after the Vikings' win over the Browns. "There's some sacrifice going on, all across our football team, to do whatever is required to win one game. And that mentality can be a powerful thing as we inevitably start to get some guys back."

Hockenson figures to benefit from the Vikings' offensive line getting healthier and the entire passing game getting into more of a groove, regardless of who's playing quarterback. He demonstrated a strong rapport with McCarthy over the course of training camp. In an offense with a lot of mouths to feed, Hockenson isn't going to suddenly put up huge 2023-like numbers. Still, as long as he stays healthy, it feels like a safe bet that he'll finish with more than the 520 yards he's currently pacing for.