As the Detroit Lions navigate contract talks with Sam LaPorta, a similar situation with a tight end they drafted may come back to memory. It seemed like T.J. Hockenson was going to get a long-term deal, and picking up his fifth-year option was seen as a a placeholder for those talks to get it done.
Of course the 2022 Lions were also in a way different spot than this year's team is. General manager Brad Holmes said the team's 1-6 record to that point in that season could've been reversed and it still would've happened, and Hockenson was traded to the Minnesota Vikings before the trade deadline.
Hockenson went on to produce a high level over the rest of that season in Minnesota (60 catches in 10 games), and in his first full season as a Viking (95 receptions over 15 games) before a torn ACL on Christmas Eve set things off-course.
Hockenson has only played four games against the Lions since being traded. He has had more than 55 yards or a touchdown in three of them, but a fully certified "revenge game" hasn't necessarily happened.
T,.J. Hockenson is lined up for a fully-fleshed out revenge game in Week 8
Hockenson has again been up-and-down so far this season. In three of six games thus far, he has had a touchdown or over 100 yards. In the other three games, he has a total of 47 yards without a touchdown.
The Lions will enter Week 8 allowing the most receptions (56), yards (602) and touchdowns (10) to opposing tight ends this season. There are multiple culprits for that, from scheme to the actual coverage ability of those being tasked to do it.
Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News spotlighted Pro Football Focus' data from the Week 7 game against the Green Bay Packers, which passed the eye test during the game.
Indeed. Linebackers had a rough day in coverage.
— Nolan Bianchi (@nolanbianchi) October 26, 2026
Campbell allowed 8 catches on 8 targets for 78 yards. Barnes allowed 7 catches on 11 targets for 81 yards.
Looking deeper, PFF "credited" Derrick Barnes with allowing a total of four receptions for 41 yards to Packers wide receivers Christian Watson and Matthew Golden. If he was the closest defender in coverage to a wide receiver, that is a failure beyond whatever shortcomings he has in coverage.
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Jack Campbell has been exposed by opponents in the passing game over and over all season, with little or no reduction in the volume of his coverage snaps game-to-game. Five of the eight catches he allowed against Green Bay (for 57 yards) were to tight ends Tucker Kraft and Jonnu Smith.
Getting quarterback Kyler Murray all the way on track has to be the top priority for Minnesota's offensive staff, and it just happens the Lions are a layup for getting Hockenson heavily involved.
When targeting Hockenson so far this season, Murray has a 118.4 passer rating.
The Vikings surely see what every other opponent has seen on tape regarding the Lions' huge vulnerability against tight ends. So Hockenson may finally get a full-fleshed out revenge game on Sunday, just shy of three years after being traded.
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