Shocking Report: Vikings Could Be On the Brink of Losing $66 Million Pro Bowler – Is This the End of an Era?

The Minnesota Vikings will face some tough decisions next offseason and could lose some of the more prominent members of their roster because of financial considerations.

Among those players is two-time Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson. He has the third-largest overall deal of any tight end in the NFL, behind only George Kittle and Trey McBride. Hockenson also makes the fourth-most money in annual average salary, behind only his two aforementioned peers and Travis Kelce.

Hockenson is playing in the second season of his four-year, $66 million extension in 2025, though the Vikings have an out in the contract for the price of $12.5 million.

Darren Wolfson of KSTP said on the SKOR North podcast Friday, October 10, that Hockenson may not be back next season because of how pricey his deal is. Wolfson added that if the tight end does return to Minnesota in 2026, he will do so as part of a restructured agreement.

“You look at the T.J. Hockenson contract for next year, he certainly isn’t playing next year under the terms of that deal,” Wolfson said. “Maybe he’s here, but he’s going to have to renegotiate. We don’t know. That’s a question mark.”

Vikings Face Difficult Salary Cap Situation in 2026

GettyMinnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.

The Vikings are currently more than $37 million in the red with regards to the 2026 salary cap. And that’s considerably better than where the team’s finances stood back in June.

“You can roll over unused cap space, which they are probably going to need because, as of right now, no team is further over the cap in 2026 than the Minnesota Vikings,” SKOR North host Phil Mackey said on June 20. “They’re like $50 million over the cap.”

Mackey’s co-host, Judd Zulgad, offered what he saw as the team’s way out beyond rolling over space.

“Be prepared next March for a lot of deals to be … reworked, or a lot of guys to just be let go, too,” Zulgad said.

T.J. Hockenson’s Stock Has Dropped Following Injury in 2023-24, Drop in Production This Season

GettyTight end T.J. Hockenson of the Minnesota Vikings.

Minnesota would surely prefer to keep Hockenson after trading a second- and third-round picks to the Detroit Lions for the tight end and two fourth-rounders in 2022. But even if the Vikings hold onto him, that means the roster will take hits elsewhere.

Hockenson’s bargaining power could come into play as well, and it is far from its all-time high.

He missed two games at the end of 2023 and another seven to start last season due to a torn ligaments in his knee. He has tallied 19 catches for 153 yards and one score across five games in 2025, which puts him on track for 65 catches, 520 yards and three touchdowns if he remains healthy.

Those are significant dips from 2022 and 2023, when he averaged more than 90 catches, nearly 950 receiving yards and 5.5 touchdowns per season. The drop in production isn’t all Hockenson’s fault, however. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell spoke to that issue on October 6.

“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,” O’Connell said. “There’s some sacrifice going on all across our football team to do whatever is required to win one game.”

Namely, Minnesota is asking Hockenson to pass block at a higher rate than ever before due to a slew of injuries to the offensive line. But regardless of the reasons, the Vikings front office will be able to use Hockenson’s recent injury history and subsequent drop in statistical production against him at the negotiating table, as will any other team in free agency if Hockenson refuses to restructure his deal and Minnesota ends up cutting or trading him next spring.

Jacob Saylors' quiet heroics prove heart doesn’t need headlines

Jacob Saylors is a football player in the truest sense of the word. Coming out of FCS East Tennessee State, Saylors put together an All-Conference career that saw him accumulate almost 4,000 rushing yards along with 33 touchdowns. In 2023, like the majority of college football players, Saylors went undrafted, beginning an arduous journey of finding a spot on an NFL active roster.

From 2023 to today, Saylors' journey was less than linear. Cut by the Bengals (2023), a couple weeks on the practice squad for the Falcons (2023). He joined the UFL as a third-string option behind Wayne Gallman and Mataeo Durant, and became an All-UFL back. He also earned contracts with the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns in 2024, only to be cut once again.

Saylors decided to give football one more go, and in 2025, he put together an All-UFL season once again. This time, that success landed himself with the Detroit Lions going into training camp. Despite a crowded running back room, the Lions decided that the versatility Saylors brought was too valuable to send the young running back packing.

Saylors making a name for himself without making headlines

After an elevation, Saylors would sign to Detroit's active roster, and since then has quietly been one of the Lions key contributors of the first five weeks of the 2025 season. Saylors has proven to be a key piece specifically on both sides of the Lions' special teams unit.

Saylors currently ranks just outside the NFL top 10 in return yards and average yards per return, despite limited opportunity. In addition to his 310 kick return yards (25.8/yds per return), he's also recorded four tackles on punts and kickoffs, as well.

Saylors is currently on pace to eclipse over 1,000 all-purpose yards to go along with possibly recording 10 tackles on special teams, which could garner Pro Bowl consideration.

While Saylors' contributions aren't going to consistently make headlines, his play on the field for the Lions is what really matters. As a UDFA, Saylors has shown he's able to consistently do the dirty work that is required for championship teams. He's truly made up of the stuff that head coach Dan Campbell loves to prioritize with this Detroit team.

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