Tag: Josh Oliver

Vikings starting to form an idea of a return date for TE T.J. Hockenson

The team and Hockenson are looking towards the future. That future includes a return date for the team’s star tight end. 

When Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson went down with a knee injury on Christmas Eve last year, it was the team’s last pin in the season. From Justin Jefferson to Kirk Cousins and finally Hockenson, the Vikings could not catch a break regarding injuries.

With the bad energy in the past, the team and Hockenson are looking towards the future. That future includes a return date for the team’s star tight end.

According to ESPN’s Dan Graziano, the team is “loosely targeting” a Week 7 return for him. That would have him returning against the Detroit Lions, the team against which he suffered the ACL injury. The earliest he could return would be Week 5 against the Jets in England, but the team may hold off on that for two reasons.

One is that Bye Week is the following week, and the field at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium may not be what the team wants him to return to.

Time will tell, but Vikings fans should be excited that his rehab is going well.

Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson to remain on the PUP List to start the season

The Minnesota Vikings will keep star tight end T.J. Hockenson on the Physically Unable to Perform List to start the 2024 NFL Season.

The Minnesota Vikings will keep star tight end T.J. Hockenson on the Physically Unable to Perform List to start the 2024 NFL Season.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the decision on Tuesday morning.

This move saves the Vikings an injured reserve spot for another player while potentially allowing Hockenson to be eased back into things. The earliest we could see Hockenson would be after Week 4 of the NFL season; depending on his rehab, he may miss more time than that.

Hockenson is rehabbing from a torn ACL against the Detroit Lions on Christmas Eve this past season. While he has had no setbacks in his recovery, an eight-month turnaround is too much.

Fans shouldn’t worry, though, as the team is invested in Hockenson and believs he is the present and future of the tight end position. Since J.J. McCarthy’s injury, the team has been playing the long game, so be on the lookout for more long-term plays.

WATCH: Josh Oliver makes the catch through contact for the touchdown

The Minnesota Vikings have been dealing with a ton of new injuries in training camp, but they are still missing T.J. Hockenson. 

The Minnesota Vikings have been dealing with a ton of new injuries in training camp, but they are still missing T.J. Hockenson. The team has several on the roster who are vying for the role of starting tight end but there is a clear leader in the clubhouse, Josh Oliver.

He extended his lead on Thursday when he was able to make a play against the tough Cleveland Browns defense.

Oliver was in the endzone working against the Browns’ secondary and made a big catch through contact. The Browns’ secondary was very physical with the Vikings’ receivers, and Oliver’s reaction showed how much the play meant after they had been battling through a rough practice on Wednesday.

T.J. Hockenson doesn’t have a timeline to return yet, but in the meantime, Josh Oliver should be a capable replacement before he returns. The team has also been utilizing Nick Muse and Johnny Mundt with varied success.

Despite position change, N’Keal Harry has a chance to be cut

Minnesota Vikings tight end N’Keal Harry is a prime candidate to be cut before the start of the season according to PFN’s Dakota Randall.

Training camp and the preseason are the time for both youngsters and veterans to make their marks with their teams and prove they belong. Some of those players are trying to do so while learning new positions — like Minnesota Vikings tight end N’Keal Harry.

Unfortunately, not all of those players can make rosters, and one media outlet sees Harry as a prime candidate to be cut before the season starts. Pro Football Network’s Dakota Randall looked around the league and identified one player from each who could be cut before the season starts.

Every team will have to reduce rosters to 53 before the start of the season, so many players are prime candidates for the waiver wire. For Minnesota, Harry jumps out to Randall as the most obvious candidate.

An infamous draft bust, N’Keal Harry now is trying to learn tight end after failing as a receiver. He has the size to play the position, but if he doesn’t show well in camp, he likely will be cut before landing on a practice squad to refine his tight end skills.

If there’s a glimmer of optimism in Harry’s situation, it’s that the Vikings are relatively thin at the position — at least when it comes to playmakers. Veteran T.J. Hockenson is likely to start the season on the PUP list, and the receiving options behind him are limited.

Minnesota brought in former Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears tight end Robert Tonyan to help fill the void in Hockenson’s absence, and he’ll likely be the starter if Hockenson isn’t ready to go to start the season. Behind Tonyan, there’s Josh Oliver, who is on the team more for his blocking prowess than his receiving ability.

That leaves Harry to battle for TE4 with Johnny Mundt and Nick Muse — provided the Vikings even keep four tight ends on the final roster, which isn’t a given. Harry is likely on the outside looking in to make the team, even with the absence of Hockenson.

Vikings sign TE Sammis Reyes following rookie minicamp tryout

The Minnesota Vikings have signed tight end Sammis Reyes following a tryout during this past weekends rookie minicamp.

The Minnesota Vikings have signed tight end Sammis Reyes following a tryout during this past weekend’s rookie minicamp. The team announced the signing on social media on Monday afternoon.

Reyes joins the Vikings by coming through the league’s International Player Pathway (IPP) Program. He will not count against the team’s 90-player roster limit heading into training camp.

He joins a tight end roster that includes T.J. Hockenson, Nick Muse, Josh Oliver, Trey Knox, and Johnny Mundt.

The Chilean tight end has appeared in 11 games in his career with one start dating back to 2021 with the Washington Football Team. He went undrafted in the 2021 NFL Draft and has also played for the Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars.

Reyes did retire from football in May of 2023 due to a concussion but was cleared by the Jaguars and released in February of 2024.

Sammis Reyes was also drafted in the fourth round of the 2021 Global CFL Draft by the Toronto Argonauts.

7 Tight ends the Vikings should pursue in free agency

Do the Minnesota Vikings sign a tight end to fill in for T.J. Hockenson? From Noah Fant to Hunter Henry, these 7 options are intriguing

The Minnesota Vikings are in an interesting position at tight end going into free agency. They theoretically are set with T.J. Hockenson and Josh Oliver as the top two tight ends in the room. However, that is murky for 2024 with the torn ACL suffered on Christmas Eve by Hockenson since he didn’t have surgery to repair the injury until the end of January.

What should the Vikings do at the position? If they plan on redshirting Hockenson, would they end up signing a bridge player to get them through 2024? Do they choose to bring back Johnny Mundt and ride with the three guys in the room?

With how general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has pursued things so far, a bridge tight end makes a lot of sense. Here are seven different tight ends that could fit the bill and be that bridge player.

Snap count analysis from Vikings 33-10 loss vs. Packers

The snap counts told an itneresting story from Sunday’s loss

The Minnesota Vikings needed a victory on Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers to earn a playoff spot but they couldn’t get it done with a 33-10 loss.

It was embarrassing for multiple reasons but the play across the entire team was porous at best with only one standout performance to speak of. The coaching was subpar and it looked like the organization didn’t come to play a football game but rather just showed up.

When we take a look at the snap counts from Sunday’s game, they need to be looked at in two different contexts. One being the majority of the game and the other when the game was already in doubt and they made substitutions.

4 Vikings storylines to watch in Week 12 vs. Bears

There will be many storylines to keep tabs on Monday night

The Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the Chicago Bears in an important NFC North division battle on Monday night.

The game became even more important, as the Green Bay Packers gifted the Vikings a Detroit Lions loss by beating them 29-22 on Thanksgiving Day. It’s even more important after the Vikings lost to the Denver Broncos on Sunday night. The Vikings currently sit two games down from the Lions and can climb within 1.5 games with a win on Monday night.

As we approach the game on Monday night, there are multiple ways we will preview the game. These four storylines will be worth keeping your eye on during Monday night football.

Vikings Game: Live updates from Vikings at Broncos in Week 11

Follow along for live updates throughout Sunday night football as the Minnesota Vikings take on the Denver Broncos.

The Minnesota Vikings are set to take on the Denver Broncos on Sunday night.

Throughout the game, we will be breaking down the big moments on each drive, keeping you updated throughout if you can’t watch the game live.

Follow along all night as the Vikings look to extend their winning streak to six games.

WATCH all 16 Vikings touchdowns through 6 games

Before they play the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night, relive all 16 Minnesota Vikings touchdowns through the first 6 weeks of the season

Through six games of the Minnesota Vikings 2023 season, they have found a way to find the end zone for a touchdown 16 times. That is 2.66 touchdowns per game.

The defense has found their way into the end zone multiple times as well, with D.J. Wonnum and Jordan Hicks finding the end zone. Interestingly enough, the Vikings won both games where the defense scored.

Five Vikings have multiple touchdowns on the season with Jordan Addison having four, Justin Jefferson having three and T.J. Hockenson, K.J. Osborn and Alexander Mattison having two. Josh Oliver is the only Vikings offensive player with a singular touchdown

With the Vikings playing on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers, relive all 16 touchdowns through the first six games with the all-22 view.