T.J. Hockenson on Contract Status: 'I Hope to Be Here For a Long Time'
Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson is entering the final season of his rookie contract in 2023 — specifically, the fifth-year option picked up by his former team, the Lions. Unlike a few other players with some contract uncertainty, he was present and participating in Tuesday's OTA practice at TCO Performance Center.
Hockenson thrived in Kevin O'Connell's offense after being acquired from Detroit in a midseason trade last November. He has loved his time in Minnesota and hopes it'll be his home for many years to come, but right now he's focused on football, not a potential extension.
"That's not really anything I'm focused on," Hockenson said of entering a contract year. "I mean, it is what it is. I think that's no secret that that's coming up, but that's not a focus that I'm worried about. I'm just out here playing football, having fun with the guys, really enjoying the city of Minneapolis and trying to get around these fans.
"This is a place obviously I want to be, and everything needs to work (itself) out. I hope to be here for a long time, but on the same hand, it is a business and there's a side of that. Again, I don't look at that, but it's great to be here right now."
Hockenson, the eighth overall pick out of Iowa in 2019, has made two Pro Bowl appearances in four seasons. He's 6'5", 250 pounds, an elite athlete for the tight end position, and in the heart of his prime with his 26th birthday coming up in July. Hockenson set a career high with 914 receiving yards last season, 519 of which came in ten games with the Vikings. He also experienced the playoffs for the first time and rattled off ten catches for 129 yards in Minnesota's loss to the Giants.
It would make a lot of sense for the Vikings to secure an extension this summer for Hockenson, who is a perfect complement to Justin Jefferson in O'Connell's passing game. Those things can take time, though. Hockenson has a 2023 cap hit of $9.4 million on the fifth-year option, and an extension would presumably be worth north of $14 or $15 million per year to make him one of the league's highest-paid tight ends.
The Vikings are also in line to potentially extend Jefferson and Danielle Hunter, but some business may need to wait until a resolution to the Dalvin Cook situation frees up cap space.
Right now, Hockenson isn't concerned about much more than getting better every day. After a whirlwind first few months with the Vikings last year, he's enjoying having a full offseason to bond with his teammates and explore Minneapolis.
"For me, honestly, it's to be here with the guys," Hockenson said of what he's enjoying about OTAs. "Hang out with the boys and kind of get to know everybody. Last year, during my three, four months here, it was just kinda like I'm in the playbook, I'm trying to figure out what's going on week to week, I'm just kind of focused on this one thing rather than being able to get to know a guy and understand what they do and understand them as a person. So that's been huge for me, to get out with these guys and actually hang out with them outside the building. That's been a blast for me. Like I said, having so much fun in the city of Minneapolis."
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