Vikings Player Draws Overpaid Label
The Minnesota Vikings have an expensive payroll, headlined by the contract of franchise player Justin Jefferson, who has earned every penny with his on-field excellence and his unproblematic off-field attitude. He has turned into quite the leader for the organization. Nobody would ever call him overpaid, even after a quiet campaign for his standards.
Not every player has that luxury. In fact, Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon singled one out and called him the team’s most overpaid player. Tight end T.J. Hockenson has received that honor despite his recent contract restructure.
Gagnon explained, “The Vikings are loaded with strong candidates including Justin Jefferson, Jonathan Greenard and Will Fries, but at this point, Hockenson has to be considered one of the most overpaid players in the league.”
Jefferson now ranks third among wideouts behind recently extended Jaxon Smith-Njigba and college teammate Ja’Marr Chase, making an average salary of $35 million that reset the receiver market at the time by a significant margin. Calling Greenard overpaid is quite ridiculous. He was a Pro Bowler in 2024 and his advanced numbers were even better in 2025. The sack totals don’t tell the full story.
Fries was signed last offseason and he didn’t play up to the level his five-year, $87.72 million contract would suggest. The guard is indeed a strong candidate. A bounce-back season is possible.
That was also foreseen for Hockenson last season after missing nearly half of the previous year due to a torn ACL. It was fair to expect him to return to his pre-injury self after a full offseason, but his numbers were quite disappointing.
Gagnon added: “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.”
After his career year in 2023 (960 yards and 5 touchdowns in 15 games), Hockenson’s production declined: 455 yards in 2024 (10 games) and 438 yards in 2025 (15 games).
The veteran deserves some context, though. All receivers in the Twin Cities had soft numbers last year because of the quarterback play. If the passers struggle to feed the receivers, they can’t put up any production. Furthermore, with the offensive line struggles, the Vikings deployed Hockenson as a chipper in the passing game; he helped keep the quarterbacks clean. In fact, the Vikings led the league in tight end chips.
Still, 438 yards and 3 touchdowns were not what the franchise envisioned when handing him a contract worth $16.5 million a year in 2023. The final year of that initial four-year contract was erased in a contract restructure a few weeks ago. He also took a $5.75 million pay cut in the 2026 season. The cap number of over $15 million is inflated because more than half of it is a prorated signing bonus. One could say the Vikings have to pay last year’s bill.
Either way, a divorce next offseason is possible, perhaps even likely. Hockenson has a strong incentive to improve his output with free agency around the corner. That will depend on Kevin O’Connell’s plan for the tight end and the potentially upgraded QB play. His best play in 2025 came with Carson Wentz under center, who was also the best at finding Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson. Kyler Murray’s presence could make a difference.
Hockenson is still only 28 (will turn 29 in the summer) and should have some gas left at a position where players have strong seasons even into their 30s.
Minnesota’s 2022 trade acquisition is entering a pivotal season for his career.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.