TJ Hockenson made history today as he becomes the highest paid tight end in football. Hockenson signed a four-year contract extension with the Vikings, where that will at least pay him $66 million and up to $68.5 million. Due to this deal, Minnesota will be paying over $25 million on their tight end room in 2024 and beyond. Hockenson is happy he’s locked in a deal and that “he can just go play football” and “not have to worry about anything else.”
Hockenson had been drafted in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft as the eighth overall pick with the Detroit Lions. Last season he was traded to the Vikings midseason where he broke out, with quickly becoming one of Kirk Cousins top targets. He had 60 receptions for 519 yards and three touchdowns in 10 games. Hockenson then gained another 10 receptions for 129 yards in a wild-card game against the New York Giants. He finished the season second among NFL tight ends with 86 receptions for 914 yards in 17 combined games with the Vikings and Lions. We’ll have to see how this mediocre deal plays out when we see Hockenson’s performance on the field to determine if this was a bad deal or a great one.