Vikings Restructure TJ Hockenson for Salary Cap Purposes

The Minnesota Vikings open their season this Sunday in New York against the Giants. Unfortunately, they’ll be without at least one crucial offensive piece. Pro Bowl tight end TJ Hockenson is on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list for the first four weeks.

Today, however, the Minnesota Vikings made some moves, off the field, restructuring Hockenson’s contract to free up cap space. The Vikings acquired TJ Hockenson from the Detroit Lions during the 2022-23 season. He’s been a vital part of Kevin O’Connell’s offense ever since.

Minnesota Vikings rework TJ Hockenson’s contract

TJ Hockenson inked a four-year, $66 million contract extension in August 2023, ensuring he’ll remain in purple through 2027-28. According to Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press , the Vikings made a minor adjustment to Hockenson’s contract on Thursday, shifting some of his money around, to create additional cap space for the team.

Before this restructure, the Vikings were at the bottom of the NFL in terms of salary cap space, with only about $900,000, according to OverTheCap. This adjustment provides the Vikings with more flexibility to make additional moves, or at least remain flexible, going forward.

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As for TJ Hockenson, his $14 million cap hit for 2024 will be reduced, but he won’t lose or defer any of his cash. In other words, it’s a win/win, at least in the present. Future Kwesi (or other GM) won’t appreciate it, though. This restructure moves money that was supposed to count against the Vikings’ salary cap this season, down the road.

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