After a bit of a rocky offseason, the Minnesota Vikings have announced a contract agreement with tight end T.J. Hockenson. The deal will make Hockenson NFL's highest-paid tight end ever according to several reports. ESPN's Adam Schefter says the contract is four-years for $68.5 million.
Hockenson is entering his fifth season and second with the Vikings in 2023, after being traded to Minnesota from the Detroit Lions on Nov. 1, 2022.
Hockenson has been a limited participant in training camp so far this summer. Multiple reasons have been given for his absence, including an ear infection and a sore back according to the Vikings.
There were reports that Hockenson was also unhappy he didn't get a new deal in the offseason, something that the team has now remedied. The Vikings through it all said his absence was not related to his contract with coach Kevin O'Connell saying they fully expected Hockenson to be ready for week one.
The team is expecting big things from Hockenson with defenses having to pay so much attention to star wideout Justin Jefferson, plus the addition of speedy young rookie Jordan Addison from USC.
Jefferson, of course, is the next contract issue facing the Vikings. He's in line for a monster extension after his rookie deal expires following the 2024 season. Most NFL insiders expect the Vikings to ink Jefferson well before his contract expires.
Hockenson made his Viking debut in Week 9 last year at Washington and made an immediate impact, catching nine passes for 70 yards just five days after joining the team.
In the final 10 weeks of the 2022 season after joining Minnesota, Hockenson ranked second among all tight ends with 60 receptions, just three catches shy of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce’s league-leading mark.
Hockenson was the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft by Detroit. A two-time Pro Bowl selection (2020 and 2023), Hockenson has played in 57 games during his NFL tenure, making 49 starts. He has tallied 2,587 yards receiving and 18 touchdowns on 246 receptions.
The Vikings spent much of the offseason clearing salary cap space knowing they had some new deals to get done and without much wiggle room. They lost receiver Adam Thielen, defensive leader Eric Kendricks, and pass rushing specialist Za'Darius Smith.