New T.J. Hockenson Update Suggests the Star Tight End Could Miss 6 Weeks
Back on Christmas Eve, the Minnesota Vikings took on the Detroit Lions inside U.S. Bank Stadium as part of the Week 16 slate.
The game carried some massive weight with it as the Vikings needed a win in order to stay alive in the hunt to claim another NFC North crown. Ultimately, Minnesota fell short, and more bad news came after the game when it was revealed that star tight end T.J. Hockenson had suffered a torn ACL and torn MCL after being tackled by Lions safety Kerby Joseph.
Since then, many have wondered if the injury would have an impact on Hockenson’s availability heading into the 2024 regular season, and if so, when when the tight end would actually be available to play. Well, Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune has the latest update on the tight end.
Latest T.J. Hockenson Update
“I would imagine Hockenson is on the [Physically Unable to Perform] list through six weeks,” Goessling speculated on the latest episode of the “Access Vikings” podcast. “Week 6 bye is conveniently timed here.”
To begin the year, the Vikings have a very difficult schedule, facing five playoff teams from the 2023 season in their first seven games. The only games that do not feature teams from last year’s tournament come in Week 1 against the New York Giants and Week 5 against the New York Jets.
Of course, that game against the Jets occurs in Week 5 in London, and it immediately will lead into a Week 6 bye because of the taxing amount of travel. The Jets do not have a bye the following weekend, but they get an extra day to rest as they will play a Monday Night Football matchup against the Buffalo Bills in Week 6.
Ironically, this timetable for Hockenson would mean that his return would come against Joseph and the Lions in U.S. Bank Stadium: the exact same scenario where his 2023 season ended.
If Hockenson is to make his return in Week 7, it would also make sense as a potential transition point to rookie QB J.J. McCarthy. For now, it appears that Sam Darnold is the favorite to get the starting snaps to begin the year, but with a home game coming off a bye along with the potential return of a star pass catcher to the lineup, McCarthy could very well see his first NFL snaps during this game.
Ultimately, we are still a long way away from truly knowing how things will turn out for Hockenson in terms of his recovery this summer. Hopefully, he is able to get back on the field sooner than later, but it appears a stint on the PUP list could be in store.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.