Projecting contract extensions for players likely to sign before Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season

• An important extension for the TE market: T.J. Hockenson is a top talent at the position who just turned 26 years old. His next contract should more than double the average annual value of newly signed Vikings tight end Josh Oliver.

• A monster extension awaits Brian Burns: The Panthers rejected a trade offering significant draft capital for Burns last year, and now they should be looking to get this deal done before Nick Bosa signs with the 49ers.

• Zack Martin's holdout continues: Martin’s $14 million average annual value held strong near the top of the guard market for several years, but it's now an outdated number for one of the NFL's best.

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes

In what will likely be our final installment of the 2023 NFL contract extension series, we take a look at a few marquee names working toward inking new deals prior to Week 1 in September.

Here, we highlight a mix of young up-and-comers aiming for their first veteran contracts paired with some established veterans who have earned a re-up before they hang up their cleats in the not-so-distant future.

TE T.J. Hockenson, Minnesota Vikings

With seemingly the entire football world fixated on the running back market's woes, and understandably so, the consistently underwhelming and extraordinarily team-friendly tight end market has once again flown under the radar. The position carries with it a career shelf life that rivals the attrition at running back, and teams have leveraged this reality for years against players who contribute as much in the passing game as many of the top No. 2 wide receivers in the NFL while also maintaining responsibilities as blockers. Hockenson is no exception, and this contract should be viewed as a very important deal at the position.

Has Hockenson lived up to his No. 8 overall draft pick billing? Arguably no. Clearly, the new Detroit Lions brass didn’t necessarily think so, exercising his fifth-year option last season before trading him to the division-rival Minnesota Vikings. However, is he a top talent at the position who just turned 26 years old coming off the best stretch of his NFL career, with the ability to put up massive stat lines on any given Sunday? Yes.