The Minnesota Vikings may have found one of their quieter rookie storylines in tight end Gavin Bartholomew, a sixth-round pick in 2025 who spent his entire first season sidelined by a back injury. He’s not suddenly forcing his way to the front of the line, but he has shown enough during training camp to keep himself in the conversation.
That matters because the Vikings’ tight end room has some real uncertainty attached to it. T.J.
Hockenson has had a quiet camp, and Josh Oliver’s job tends to keep him out of the spotlight. According to The Athletic’s Alec Lewis, Bartholomew made the team on his 53-man roster projection after Sunday’s night practice, and that kind of path could set him up for more if his rebound season keeps moving in the right direction.
Lewis noted, “This position feels a bit overlooked,” and pointed to the need for both Hockenson and Oliver to stay healthy if Minnesota wants to use personnel the way it envisioned. He also wrote, “...Bartholomew’s pass-catching talent may give him more upside, but even if he establishes himself as worthy of the No. 3 role, the Vikings will be betting big on alternatives in the event of an injury.”
That’s the tricky part for Bartholomew. An injury ahead of him could create an opening, but it also hints that the team may look elsewhere if the room gets thin. Still, availability is often half the battle at this spot, and that’s where Bartholomew can start building a case.
Hockenson’s situation is the biggest reason. Since arriving in Minnesota ahead of the 2022 trade deadline, he put together a huge stretch with 95 catches for 960 yards and five touchdowns before suffering a multiligament knee injury in a loss to the Detroit Lions on Christmas Eve in 2023.
He missed the first seven games of the 2024 season while recovering, then played 15 games last season, but his production has dropped off. Over the past two seasons combined, he hasn’t matched those 2023 totals, finishing with fewer receptions and receiving yards than that breakout year.
Oliver creates another possible opening. As the team’s blocking tight end, he has logged 59 catches for 631 yards and nine touchdowns in three years with Minnesota.
He has also missed two games in each of the past two seasons. Rookie Max Bredeson could step in if Oliver goes down again, but that would still leave Bartholomew with a chance to earn snaps.
His college résumé at Pittsburgh is solid rather than flashy: 105 catches for 1,257 yards and 11 touchdowns over four years. That doesn’t scream star, but it does suggest a player with enough receiving ability to stick as a reserve tight end. He was also viewed as a capable run blocker, though his best Pro Football Focus grade in that area was 51.4 in his final season with the Panthers.
A larger role may not be immediate. Bartholomew could still be a year away from anything beyond the No. 3 tight end job.
Even so, the bigger picture is interesting. Hockenson is headed toward free agency after this season on a restructured contract, and Oliver has an out in his deal after this year even though Spotrac lists him as likely to return in 2027 because of his value in the run game.
If Bartholomew wins the camp battle, he could stick around as the third tight end while the room gets reshaped.
If Hockenson departs in free agency, the picture gets even murkier. ESPN’s Jordan Reid has next year’s draft class ranked with Oregon’s Jamari Johnson, LSU’s Trey’Dez Green and Texas Tech’s Terrance Carter Jr. as the top three prospects, and the Vikings were already connected to Kenyon Sadiq before the Oregon tight end went 16th overall to the New York Jets in April.
For now, Bartholomew’s best route is simple: keep building on a solid camp and take advantage if the door opens. He doesn’t need to become Hockenson overnight. But if he keeps progressing, he could answer one of Minnesota’s more unsettled questions beyond 2026.
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