The Minnesota Vikings solidified some of their future on Thursday, signing tight end TJ Hockenson to a contract extension. The deal will span 4 years and is worth $68.5 million, which makes him the highest paid tight end annually in the NFL.
Hockenson Is Now The Highest Paid Tight End In The NFL
𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴: #Vikings sign TE T.J. Hockenson to a contract extension making him one of the highest paid TEs in history, per @RapSheet pic.twitter.com/BfzlfdhV8x
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) August 31, 2023
Hockenson has been one of the more productive tight ends in the league over the last few years, finishing in the top-3 in yards twice since 2020. He started his career with the Lions four years ago and has been a solid, scoring 18 touchdowns and being named to two Pro Bowls so far.
But are those numbers high enough? Does TJ Hockenson deserve to be the highest paid at his position in the NFL?
There are a handful of guys who could have some serious gripes. The first one that comes to mind is Travis Kelce, who has cemented himself as the best tight end in the game over the last few years. He is the most productive target on the offense that has been dominating the league for the better part of a half decade, and he has the accolades to show for it.
Kelce hasn’t finished with under 1,000 yards receiving since 2015. He is coming off of perhaps his best season ever, putting up 1,338 yards and a career high 12 touchdowns. He was the primary target for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense on their way to another Super Bowl victory, a game in which Kelce caught 6 balls for 81 yards and a touchdown.
Kelce Is Now The 4th Highest Paid
Highest paid tight ends per year:
1: #Vikings TJ Hockenson ($17.1M)
2: Darren Waller ($17M)
3: George Kittle ($15M)
4: Travis Kelce ($14.3M)
5: Dallas Goedert ($14.2M)
6: Mark Andrews ($14M)Kelce….🤔 pic.twitter.com/xy6zf7gdCF
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) August 31, 2023
As it stands, after Hockenson’s deal was signed, Kelce is now the 4th most compensated tight end in the NFL. First is of course Hockenson, who earns $17.125 million annually. The price tag edges out the one placed on Darren Waller, who was the highest paid for just a few months. George Kittle makes $15 million per.
Kelce’s is in the middle of his current deal, one that was worth $57 million over 4 years when he signed it back in 2020. It remains to be seen how productive he continues to be, as he is turning 34 years old in about a month. Will the Chiefs have any interest in rewarding him and making him the highest paid tight end at some point? Given how Kansas City has operated financially in recent years, the answer is probably no.
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