Grade The Contract: Details emerge on Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson’s contract restructure leaves the door open
It’s a legitimate pay cut for T.J. Hockenson.
One of the ways the Minnesota Vikings have worked to fix the salary cap was to adjust the contract of T.J. Hockenson. He was due $16 million in cash and had a salary cap hit of $21.2 million.
They initially agreed to what was reported as a restructuring, but we found out it was a pay cut within a couple of hours. Arguably, the biggest news coming from the Hockenson contract adjustment was that the final year of his contract was voided.
T.J. Hockenson’s contract details emerge
What we didn’t know was how exactly the new version of Hockenson’s contract was going to be structured. Those details came to light on Wednesday morning.
Essentially, it boils down to this:
- Base salary drops to $7 million
- $100k in workout bonus
- $3.05 million in unaccounted for
The more interesting aspect of this restructure is the unaccounted for $3.05 million. It’s likely that it’s a roster bonus that was given and not posted on Over The Cap.
With the final year of his contract voided, Hockenson will cost the Vikings $7.11 million on the salary cap for 2027. They could bring that down to $5.355 million if they sign him to a contract extension next offseason, but it’s very likely Hockenson will hit the market.
Overall, Hockenson’s contract is what’s best for both sides. The Vikings get what they want from a salary cap perspective, and Hockenson likely maximized his cash flow for the 2026 season. It’s a win for both sides.
Grade: B+
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