Vikings, Pro Bowl TE TJ Hockenson "far apart" on extension talks
The Vikings have a ways to go when it comes to extension talks with a key player. Tight end TJ Hockenson was brought in at the 2022 trade deadline and immediately became a key contributor. The former Lion collected 60 catches in 10 games for the Vikings en route to his second Pro Bowl selection. […]
The Vikings have a ways to go when it comes to extension talks with a key player.
Tight end TJ Hockenson was brought in at the 2022 trade deadline and immediately became a key contributor. The former Lion collected 60 catches in 10 games for the Vikings en route to his second Pro Bowl selection.
However, the Vikings and Hockenson are "far apart" in extension talks with Hockenson set to enter free agency in 2024.
Per NFL insider Dianna Russini, Hockenson wants to "reset the market" with a "historic" extension.
Hockenson is a Pro Bowl-level TE but is not one of the three best at the position. In terms of total guarantees, George Kittle, Mark Andrews, and Dallas Goedert lead the way with $35M+. In terms of annual average, Darren Waller leads the way at $17M. While it may sound outlandish to think Hockenson would get this much, Eagles TE Dallas Goedert got $35M guaranteed with zero Pro Bowl selections.
Hockenson, meanwhile has two Pro Bowl selections, one in 2020 with the Lions and one in 2022 with the Vikings. Since 2020, Hockenson has had at least 60 receptions in each season, with a career-high of 86 in 2022.
What will be an interesting factor to consider is the contract given to fellow tight end Josh Oliver by the Vikings this offseason. Even with Hockenson, the Vikes gave Oliver a three-year, $21M deal with $8.2M fully guaranteed. The team often employs multiple TE sets, so it's likely the team has Hockenson and Oliver in its future plans.
If Oliver performs well this season, however, it may make the team more comfortable with letting Hockenson walk. Getting solid production from Oliver may make Hockenson's requests seem excessive.
If the Vikings do want to bring Hockenson back, they could likely afford it. The Vikings are currently slated to have around $50M in available cap space next offseason.
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Featured image via © Matt Krohn | 2023 Jan 15
