Vikings say the quiet part out loud about T.J. Hockenson’s rare skillset

 

Minnesota Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson | David Berding/GettyImages

By Anthony Miller | Sep 24, 2025

For the modern-day tight end, it has almost become more important to be a great pass catcher than a blocker. Some players, like Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson, have the whole package.

Hockenson has been great this season when it comes to being a receiving tight end, recording nine receptions for 76 yards and one touchdown. Pro Football Focus has graded him as the second-best tight end in the NFL out of 28, with an overall grade of 77.3. His receiving grade is 72.7, which is good for fifth.

Everyone knows the kind of impact he can make in the passing game, especially with a first-time starting quarterback in J.J. McCarthy and first-year Viking, Carson Wentz, playing the position. Tight ends can be seen as security blankets, but there's another aspect to his game that is just as good, if not better.

Minnesota Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson has been elite as a blocker this season

During the Vikings' media availability on Tuesday, Vikings offensive coordinator Wes Phillips was asked about his thoughts on Hockenson as a blocker. Phillips could not stop gushing over the tight end for his selfishness as a teammate.

"T.J.'s been phenomenal in the run game. It's one of those things where you're trying to get your best players the football, and it was nice to see him get some catches in that game.

You kind of talk to guys like 'This will be a good play for you. We're working on this.' His attitude about the whole thing is, 'Hey, I just want to win and I'll do anything it takes for us to win football games.' That's the kind of player he is."

This was evident with Hockenson's impact in the running game in last week's 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, as Phillips praised Hockenson for what he does on outside zone runs. The Vikings' offensive coordinator pointed out Hockenson's ability to go block cornerbacks and stick on them to break out big runs.

Minnesota had success on the ground against Cincinnati as they rushed 31 times for 169 yards and two touchdowns. The team averaged 5.5 yards per carry, with a lot of those runs coming on the outside off the edge of the tackle.

It's rare in today's game to find a tight end that can do it all, and after all the offseason chatter and his invisible act through the first two games with Hockenson, he's more than proven his worth on the team. He could start getting back to a Pro Bowl-caliber season that Vikings fans expected from him.

 

https://thevikingage.com/minnesota-vikings-say-quiet-part-out-loud-tj-hockenson-skillset

‘That was a huge loss’ – Todd Bowles knows Bucs’ devastating injury is going to hurt more than people realize

 

By Evan Winter

NFL Managing Editor

Sep 24, 2025 2:07 PM EDT

David Reginek-Imagn Images

 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been dealing with injuries to key players before the 2025 season began and that hasn’t changed three weeks into the season.

The latest and most devastating injury comes in the form of tight end Ko Kieft’s broken leg. The injury occurred during the Bucs’ Week 3 win over the New York Jets and is of the season-ending variety. This is the final year of Kieft’s rookie contract, as well, so his future with the Bucs is definitely in question.

Regardless, on the surface, losing your TE3 may not seem like the biggest deal in the world, but Todd Bowles and even Baker Mayfield both know how much work Kieft did behind the scenes and how important he was to the Bucs offense.

 

Kieft helped set the tone for the Bucs offense and special teams

 

“He was probably our toughest player, one of our toughest three players on the team because he was our tone-setter offensively,” Bowles told reporters after Wednesday’s practice. “He did a lot of things in the room from a blocking standpoint, so that we have to try and run the ball different ways without them. So that was a huge loss for us.”

Cody Mauch was another tone-setter for the Bucs offense and he’s also out for the year. So, now, Tampa Bay is without its two biggest “firestarters”, which can certainly have an effect on the rest of the group’s mindset in certain situations. Plus, the Bucs no longer have those guys who get under the skin of opponents and someone will have to fill that void.

But Kieft’s main value was on special teams. The unit is already struggling enough after allowing a punt and field goal to be blocked in back-to-back weeks and it’s easy to see why his absence could lead to even more underwhelming protection.

“[He’s] a guy that does a ton for us on special teams [and] a guy that doesn’t get a lot of credit in that regard, and then offensively, [he’s a] tone-setter,” Baker Mayfield told reporters. “He’s always the asshole touching you until the whistle is blown [and] somebody’s pulling you off…

“… We have to have guys step up and do that, because, you know, our identity is being smart and a tough team, but also (playing) physical, physical ball. And we lost two guys for the year that have done that for us. So we have to have guys step up and set that tone for us.”

It’s been “next man up” all year long for the Bucs, so they’re used to it, by now. It’ll be interesting to see how they make up for Kieft’s absence and who steps up along the way.

 

https://atozsports.com/nfl/tampa-bay-buccaneers-news/ko-kieft-season-ending-injury-bucs/

Bob Stoops and Montee Ball to Be Inducted into Rose Bowl Hall of Fame

 

Two college football legends will be honored during next year’s Rose Bowl celebrations in Pasadena

Published on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 | 4:28 am

(Left) Former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops during the Big Ten Championship on December 4, 2021. [Zoey Holmstrom] (Right) Montee Ball ties the NCAA career TD mark.2012 [Bflbarlow]

The Tournament of Roses announced that former Wisconsin running back Montee Ball and former Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops will join the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame as the Class of 2025 in Pasadena. Their induction celebrates their remarkable achievements and deep contributions to college football’s legacy and the famed Rose Bowl Game.

 

“The Rose Bowl Hall of Fame was established in 1989 to pay tribute to individuals who have contributed to the history and excitement of the Rose Bowl Game, and those who embody the highest level of passion, strength, tradition, and honor associated with The Granddaddy of Them All,” officials said in a statement.

 

Ball graduated from Wisconsin as the NCAA’s all-time leader in touchdowns scored and stands out as the only player to rush for 100 yards in three different Rose Bowl Games. He led the Badgers to consecutive appearances in 2011, 2012 and 2013—132 yards against TCU, 164 against Oregon and 100 against Stanford. Ball was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft and played two NFL seasons. He was inducted both into the Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2025.

 

Stoops retired in 2017 as Oklahoma’s all-time winningest coach and is the first head coach to claim a national championship and all four BCS bowl victories, including the Sooners’ 2003 Rose Bowl win over Washington State. He was a defensive back and team captain for Iowa during the 1982 Rose Bowl, which saw Iowa lose to Washington. As a coach, Stoops was twice named national coach of the year and six times Big 12 coach of the year, leading Oklahoma to 10 Big 12 titles and 18 consecutive bowl appearances; his College Football Hall of Fame induction came in 2021.

 

The new inductees will be celebrated at the 137th Rose Parade presented by Honda, honored during the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl Game presented by Prudential on January 1, and recognized with an official plaque at the Court of Champions at Rose Bowl Stadium. A private ceremony for inductees will take place on December 30. Since its 1989 founding, the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame has inducted 148 members.

 

The Pasadena Tournament of Roses is a volunteer organization hosting America’s New Year Celebration, with 935 members contributing over 80,000 annual volunteer hours.

 

Visit www.tournamentofroses.com