The Minnesota Vikings have acquired tight end T.J. Hockenson from the Detroit Lions shortly before the trade deadline. In a media roundtable, the former first-round pick spoke out about the trade for the first time and was thoroughly puzzled.

Munich/Minnesota – The Minnesota Vikings have loosened up a second-round pick for 2023 and a third-round pick for 2024 to obtain tight end T.J. Hockenson, a fourth-round pick for 2023 and a conditional fourth-round pick for 2024 from the Detroit Lions.

The trade of a star player within one’s own division is a rarity in the NFL. Accordingly, Hockenson was surprised when he was told the news:

“I had a feeling a trade might be in the offing. But I didn’t think I would end up here. I’m looking forward to the challenge and I’m super excited,” Hockenson said.

T.J. Hockenson at Vikings: another kickoff spot for Kirk Cousins

The eighth pick of the 2019 NFL Draft amassed 2068 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns in his career so far. This season, he caught 26 passes for 395 yards and three touchdowns. His post-catch skills especially stand out this season.

Averaging 8.2 yards after the catch. For the Vikings, he’ll replace the injured Irv Smith Jr. on offense and serve as another kickoff man for Kirk Cousins.

After a strong start to the season, the franchise sits atop the NFC North with a record of 6-1 and underpinned their own playoff aspirations with the trade for Hockenson.

“I’ve already started to internalize the offense. It’s a lot of details, but football is football,” Hockenson said.