Vikings land T.J. Hockenson in blockbuster trade with Lions

As they attempt to bolster their roster for a run at a championship, the Minnesota Vikings acquired tight end T.J. Hockenson in a trade with the Detroit Lions on Tuesday.

Well, we were all wondering if the Minnesota Vikings were going to make a move before this year’s trade deadline, and they have done just that. The Vikings went out and made a trade with the Detroit Lions on Tuesday to acquire Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson.

In exchange for Hockenson, a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, and a conditional 2024 draft selection, Minnesota sent the Lions a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round selection.

In seven games this season, the Vikings‘ new tight end Hockenson has hauled in 26 passes for 395 yards and three touchdowns.

Why the Minnesota Vikings made a trade with the Detroit Lions for TE T.J. Hockenson

During their win over the Arizona Cardinals this past Sunday, Minnesota saw tight end Irv Smith Jr. suffer an ankle injury. The Vikings didn’t really know how severe Smith’s injury was on Monday, but they said an MRI would reveal more.

Shortly after Minnesota made the trade for Hockenson on Tuesday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter revealed that Smith is expected to miss 8-10 weeks with a high ankle sprain. So the Vikings obviously felt they needed to make a move for a new No. 1 tight end before this year’s trade deadline.

Since Detroit picked up Hockenson’s fifth-year contract option back in March, he will be under contract with Minnesota until 2024. The Vikings’ new tight end is accounting for less than $600,000 in cap space this year, but he is currently scheduled to have a $9.4 million cap hit in 2023, according to PFF’s Brad Spielberger.

If all goes well with Hockenson for the rest of this season, it’s quite possible that Minnesota could sign him to a multi-year extension during the 2023 offseason to lower his cap hit next season.