Who Should I Start? T.J. Hockenson or Elijah Arroyo

Thursday, February 12, 8:02 AM

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson had an underwhelming season as the team endured poor quarterback play and inconsistency at the position. Hockenson played 15 games in 2025, starting all of them. He caught 51 passes for 438 yards and three touchdowns, posting the lowest receiving yards total and fantasy points per game mark since he was a rookie. He ultimately finished as the overall TE26 in full-PPR leagues. Although it's fair to blame the trio of J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer for Hockenson's frustrating year, that doesn't mean he'll magically bounce back in 2026. McCarthy is due back as the Vikings' quarterback next season. Interestingly, Hockenson also struggled with Sam Darnold as his quarterback in 2024, so he really hasn't been a trustworthy fantasy tight end since Kirk Cousins quarterbacked the Vikings in 2023. Hockenson is under contract for two more years, but the Vikings have a potential out this offseason. If Minnesota releases Hockenson post-June 1, they would create $15.96 million in cap space while taking on $5.34 million in dead money. It certainly wouldn't hurt the Vikings to keep the veteran tight end to help support McCarthy's development, but we also wouldn't be surprised to see the team's next general manager capitalize on this opportunity to create cap space.

Sunday, February 8, 12:58 PM

Seattle Seahawks rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo is officially active for Super Bowl LX after being a healthy scratch for the NFC Championship Game. The second-round pick out of Miami had missed the final four games of the regular season and the Seahawks' Divisional Round win over the 49ers with a knee injury that landed him on Injured Reserve. He was activated before Seattle's matchup with the Rams but was ultimately made a healthy scratch after carrying no injury designation into the game. He will now make his first appearance since a Week 14 win over the Falcons, in which he was targeted once before exiting early. Since catching his lone touchdown of the season in Week 9, Arroyo has caught only two of six targets for 10 yards across his last five games. Super Bowl heroes come in all shapes and sizes, but it would be surprising if Arroyo makes a meaningful impact on Sunday.