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The Detroit Lions dealt away T.J. Hockenson to the Minnesota Vikings, and after the move was final, folks likely wondered what the player was thinking about the move.
Shortly after the deal went down, Hockenson hopped on Instagram and provided a window into some of his thoughts after the trade was made. As he said, he is thankful for the experience, the team and the fans.
ESPN’s Eric Woodyard captured what Hockenson said, and the comment was a positive one for the Lions and their fans, with nothing but appreciation.
“TJ Hockenson shows his appreciation to Detroit after trade: “Detroit, I can’t tell you how appreciative I am to this city and fan base for accepting me and my family from the start. All the teammates and coaches that l’ve been w/ here have helped me every step of the way,” Woodyard tweeted in recapping the post.
Overall, it’s a classy message from Hockenson, who was pure class to the end with the Lions, and seemed he wanted to stay until he was dealt. Nevertheless, Detroit’s rebuild took precedence at this stage of the game, especially given the lucrative extension Hockenson will be up for soon.
Hockenson heads to Minnesota now, but in looking back, he’s thankful for how he was embraced by fans and Detroit.
Recapping Hockenson’s Lions Career
It was an up and down run for Hockenson with the Lions, which culminated in this trade. The 2019 first-round pick out of Iowa came to Detroit with high expectations, and did deliver early on.
During his rookie season, many fans were upset with Hockenson for not making a bigger impact quickly. He had only 367 yards and 2 touchdowns on the year. 2020 was a major bounce back from that, though, and Hockenson put up 723 yards and 6 touchdowns to rebound well. Last season, Hockenson put up 583 yards and 4 touchdowns to his credit and at times was the only top pass catcher for the team given other injuries on the roster.
Here’s a look at some of Hockenson’s biggest career plays from 2020 season:
In spite of this, Hockenson was at times inconsistent or used improperly by the Lions. He has talent, but only got to show that in flashes for the team, which left everyone likely wanting more.
Hockenson ends his Lions career with 2,068 yards and 15 touchdowns. Clearly, he was a solid player at a key position for the team and will be missed immediately from a depth and playmaking standpoint.
Why Hockenson Trade Made Sense for Lions
Many might not like the deal, but it did make sense for the Lions in a big way given where the team and player are both at.
Hockenson himself has been a puzzling player. He’s flashed brilliance at times, as in 2020 when he cracked the Pro Bowl or in 2022 when he went for 179 yards and two scores during a game, but he also disappears.
Such inconsistency is not something the Lions were likely to want to spend big on in terms of a contract extension. The team was weighing whether or not to re-sign Hockenson in the coming months, and with this deal, it’s clear they decided not to. It long seemed it could be best for the Lions to cut bait.
Detroit didn’t get a 2023 first-round pick for Hockenson, but they did the next best thing in getting a second and a third in 2023. This move should help them build up their defense in a big way.
With a pair of firsts and a pair of seconds, the Lions now have a measure of control of over the 2023 draft. This is a tantalizing opportunity that it’s clear Brad Holmes understood the magnitude of.
This is true even as some are slamming the deal in a big way for the team.
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