The Minnesota Vikings will save more than $18 million with the releases of running back Aaron Jones and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Sunday the Vikings told both players the team will release them if they can’t find a trade partner.
But the Vikings still have more work to do to move into a better place with the 2026 salary cap.
On Monday, Pro Football Focus’ Thomas Valentine named tight end T.J. Hockenson a cut candidate.
“Once a tight end at the top of his game, T.J. Hockenson hasn’t been the same player since suffering a torn ACL and MCL in 2023. Hockenson played the entire 2025 season, compiling a 61.2 PFF grade — his lowest since his rookie year — while catching 51 passes for 438 yards and three touchdowns. The veteran could be on the move this offseason,” wrote Valentine.
“The Vikings are well over the NFL’s salary cap and have some decisions to make, and cutting Hockenson could be one of them. They’ll save $8.9 million while taking on $12.4 million in dead money if they do.”
Hockenson suffered his torn MCL and ACL ligaments toward the end of 2023. Finally healthy during 2025, the tight end played in 15 contests last season.
But he had his lowest yardage output since his rookie campaign in 2019. Hockenson posted 51 catches for 438 receiving yards with three touchdowns.
Vikings Urged to Release TE T.J. Hockenson
Valentine naming Hockenson the Vikings top cut candidate isn’t surprising. That’s especially the case after the team already revealed its plan to part ways with Jones and Hargrave.
The PFF writer didn’t mention those two veterans, so it’s not clear if his story was written before or after Schefter’s report on Sunday. The story’s publication, though, was afterwards.
As Valentine indicated, Hockenson hasn’t been the same player since sustaining his serious knee injury in 2023. When the Vikings acquired him at the trade deadline the year prior to that, he was one of the top tight ends in the league.
During 2022, Hockenson posted 86 catches for 914 yards with six touchdowns. He registered those statistics splitting the season with the Vikings and Detroit Lions.
In 2023, he had another 900-yard campaign before suffering the knee injury. Hockenson finished that campaign with 95 catches, 960 yards and five scores.
Since returning, the veteran tight end has just 92 receptions, 893 receiving yards and three scores in 25 games. Hockenson averaged only 8.6 yards per catch in 2025.
What Can Vikings Save With Veteran TE Release?
The tight end has two years remaining on his current contract. Because of that, the Vikings will have a bigger dead cap hit than savings in 2026 with a Hockenson release.
That’s not ideal.
However, the alternative is keeping Hockenson with his $21.3 million cap hit in 2026.
That’s also not ideal. With that cap hit, Hockenson is set to be the most expensive tight end in the NFL this season.
Releasing Hockenson will give the Vikings about $8.8 million in cap savings instead.
The team is probably going to need those savings. According to Spotrac, Minnesota has the second-least amount of cap room as of March 2. The Vikings sit more than $44 million over the salary cap.
It’s important to note that figure doesn’t include the Jones and Hargrave releases. Taking those into account, the Vikings are about $26 million over the cap.
With a Hockenson release, they could move almost $9 million closer to the cap.
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