TJ Hockenson $66 Million Vikings Contract Ranked One Of The Worst In NFL As Production Continues To Decline
Three touchdowns in two seasons. Back-to-back years under 500 receiving yards. The highest tight end cap hit in the NFL. The latest report has seen enough and named TJ Hockenson's deal one of the ten worst contracts in the league.
When the Minnesota Vikings traded for TJ Hockenson from the Detroit Lions in 2022 and then signed him to a four-year, $66 million extension in 2023, it looked like a smart move for a franchise building around Justin Jefferson. Three years later, the deal sits on Bleacher Report's list of the ten worst contracts in the NFL, ranked ninth, and the Vikings are entering the 2026 season with the highest tight end cap hit in the league and a player who has not reached 500 receiving yards in either of the past two seasons.
The numbers tell a difficult story. In 2022 and 2023, Hockenson averaged more than 90 catches, nearly 950 yards and 5.5 touchdowns per season. Those are the numbers Minnesota paid for. What they got instead was 455 yards and zero touchdowns in 10 games in 2024, followed by 51 catches for 438 yards and three touchdowns across the full 2025 campaign. The drop in production is real, even accounting for the terrible quarterback situation the Vikings navigated with JJ McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer sharing duties.
The Contract Situation Heading Into 2026
The Vikings restructured Hockenson's deal in March, converting a portion of his salary to lower his cap hit from $21.35 million to $15.6 million and saving approximately $5 million in space. The restructure also removed the final year of his contract, making 2026 a walk year. Cutting him entirely would have cost Minnesota $12.4 million in dead cap, which made keeping him the more practical decision.
Even restructured, his $15.6 million cap hit leads all tight ends in the NFL in 2026. Kyle Pitts of Atlanta is the only other tight end above $15 million. George Kittle and Evan Engram are the next closest.
What The Latest Report Said and What It Means
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report was direct in his assessment. "The former star has scored just three touchdowns since the start of 2024 and has fallen short of 500 yards in each of the last two seasons. Even after a recent restructure, his $15.6 million 2026 cap hit leads all tight ends." The Vikings will part ways with him after this season. The question is whether he can produce enough in a contract year to earn a deal elsewhere. At 28 years old, this is almost certainly his last chance to reset his value.