Stop me if you’ve heard this before: expect the Minnesota Vikings to be busy from now until free agency.
Due to the Vikings’ success in drafting first-round picks and their decision to trade for a top-tier tight end last season, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will be busy trying to keep the Vikings’ core together.
Wide receiver Justin Jefferson will be the priority, and rightfully so. Jefferson is one of the league’s best offensive players but has just two years left on his contract, setting up a perfect time to work on a long-term contract extension.
Offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw and edge rusher Danielle Hunter will likely see extensions as well, and there’s the ever-looming Kirk Cousins extension waiting in the wings.
And then, after all that, the Vikings will have to discuss Hockenson’s long-term future with the team.
Hockenson, 26, is entering a contract season and will likely look to be paid as one of the league’s best tight ends.
The Vikings could let him walk into free agency, but such an approach would be awful asset management after trading a 2023 second-round pick and 2024 third-round pick to the Detroit Lions for him at last season’s trade deadline.
If the Vikings choose to begin discussions on a long-term contract extension, how should they approach should a move, and what would the cap implications be for the extension?
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