Vikings News: Minnesota makes T.J. Hockenson the highest-paid TE in the NFL

After weeks of speculation, some major Minnesota Vikings news dropped on Thursday when the team announced that they have agreed to a multi-year contract extension with Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the extension is for four years, it's worth $68.5 million, and it includes $42.5 million guaranteed. Hockenson's guaranteed money and his new average annual salary ($17.125 million) are both now the highest in the NFL for a tight end.

With the extension, the Vikings no longer have to worry about Hockenson leaving during free agency in 2024, and the tight end no longer has to worry about Minnesota placing the franchise tag on him next year.

Hockenson hasn't been a full participant during the Vikings' practices during the last few weeks due to an ear infection and a minor back injury. However, Schefter reported on Thursday that this was part of the tight end staging a "hold-in" this summer in order to land a lucrative extension from Minnesota.

This is something that many had suspected already, but now Hockenson can return to the practice field with the rest of his Vikings teammates to prepare for their upcoming regular-season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on September 10th.

Despite only appearing in 11 games for Minnesota in 2022 (including the playoffs), the veteran tight end clearly made a good impression on the franchise after he was acquired in a trade with the Detroit Lions during the middle of the season.

Hockenson made an impact on the Vikings' offense very quickly in 2022, as he hauled in nine passes for 70 yards during his very first game in a purple and gold jersey in a Week 9 matchup against the Washington Commanders.

He went on to finish with 70 catches for 648 yards and three touchdowns in 11 appearances (including the playoffs). Hockenson's performance ended up being good enough to earn him a spot on the NFC's Pro Bowl roster for the second time in his NFL career.

Now that he's been extended, Minnesota will be hoping their top tight end can earn even more Pro Bowl roster spots during his next few years in a purple jersey.