The Lions have traded one of their most talented players to a division rival.
Tight end T.J. Hockenson has been traded from Detroit to Minnesota, according to multiple reports.
The full terms of the deal are the Vikings sending a 2023 second-round pick and a 2024 fourth-round pick to Detroit in exchange for Hockenson, a 2023 fourth-round pick and a 2024 conditional fourth-round pick.
For the 6-1 Vikings, this move shows they think they’re Super Bowl contenders, and they want to add one more playmaker before this afternoon’s NFL trade deadline.
For the 1-6 Lions, this move shows they’re packing it in on this season and looking ahead to 2023 and beyond.
Hockenson arrived in Detroit as the eighth overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft. He’s currently in the fourth year of his rookie contract. The Lions picked up his fifth-year option, so the Vikings now inherit his guaranteed 2023 salary of $9.392 million.
