Should Detroit Lions Exercise T.J. Hockenson's Fifth-Year Option?
An interesting decision awaits general manager Brad Holmes in the next eight weeks.
Should he decide to exercise the fifth-year option of tight end T.J. Hockenson or let him enter free agency following the conclusion of the 2022 season?
Holmes could decide to offer the 24-year-old tight end a long-term contract extension, which would lower his cap hit in the coming seasons.
It was revealed on Monday that Hockenson would earn $9,392,000 in fully guaranteed monies in 2023, if his fifth-year option was picked up (as the result of making a Pro Bowl appearance).
© David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
© David Reginek-USA TODAY Sports
While Hockenson would not be earning anywhere near the $15 million his friend George Kittle secures, his contract would rank eighth among active tight ends, just above Kyle Pitts, Logan Thomas and Darren Waller.
Since entering the league in 2019, it can be argued that his productivity level has not met the level of the game's highest-paid tight ends.
Since 2019, Hockenson has secured 160 catches for 1,673 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Injuries have started to become more of a topic of discussion in the young tight end's career, as he missed the final quarter of the season in both 2019 and 2021.
“Obviously, that’s not how you want to end a season, at any point in your career. Now, I’ve had two of them, with my ankle and now this,” Hockenson said at his season-ending media session. “It’s not something that you want to endure."
Expectations are that his injuries will not exclude him from offseason workouts, which are set to resume in Nashville with Kittle and Co.
“Obviously, I’m going to work out down in Nashville,” Hockenson said. “George (Kittle) and all those guys. Me going down there, I think every year I continue to get better. This year at the beginning of the year, that was the best I ever felt, best football that I thought I was playing. So, obviously, I’m just going to continue on that, continue to build.”
At this point, it would not be in the Lions' best interest to secure Hockenson to a long-term, hefty contract extension.
While it would reduce his cap number, a long-term commitment to a player who has not shown he can remain healthy and productive would be detrimental to the rebuild.
The best option appears to be to exercise his fifth-year option and continue to have Hockenson develop under the watchful eye of new offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, who served as the team's tight ends coach before being elevated to his new position.
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