It's hard to believe the undefeated Vikings still have weapons waiting in the wings for their 2024 debut.
One of whom is T.J. Hockenson, the team's second-best receiver from last season, less than 100 yards behind young star Justin Jefferson, who was notably absent for seven of Minnesota's 2023 contests.
Brian Branch joins 'The Insiders' after earning Week 6 NFC Defensive Player of the Week
Detroit Lions defensive back Brian Branch joins 'The Insiders' one week after earning Week 6 NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
The tight end collected 960 yards on 95 receptions through 15 games, averaging just over 10 yards per catch and pulling in five touchdowns from three different quarterbacks. Starter Kirk Cousins — now with the Falcons — went down in Week 8 with a season-ending Achilles injury, paving the way for backups Jaren Hall and Josh Dobbs to rack up a couple of scores.
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Unfortunately, Hockenson's year ended abruptly seven weeks later, when he tore his ACL and MCL against the Lions with two contests left in the regular season. While he started the 2024 campaign completely sidelined, Hockenson's practice window opened at the beginning of October and he's made rapid progress since.
"He's done a great job," head coach Kevin O'Connell said after activating him, per ESPN's Kevin Seifert. "He feels great, but we've got to get him acclimated back to football."
Here's everything to know about whether Hockenson will play this week, including the latest updates on the Viking tight end's status for Week 7 vs. the Lions.
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Is T.J. Hockenson playing this week?
Despite making obvious strides in his recovery the past few weeks, Hockenson will not make his 2024 debut this Sunday against Detroit.
Seifert reported that the tight end said he "passed every test by a mile" from a medical standpoint. Seifert elaborated that Hockenson's knee is "healed" but still needs more time to acclimate to the speed of play and football movements.
There are no estimates as to his return other than it's likely he will take the field in Week 8 or 9, at the Rams or versus the Colts, respectively.
"I was wanting him to come back this week, but sadly he has to get that preparation of being in front of people and running routes on people," Jefferson said about Hockenson, per Seifert. "But we'll have him soon, so I'm definitely looking forward to it."
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Minnesota Vikings schedule 2024
Here is Minnesota's full schedule for the 2024 season, including remaining games and past results:
| Week | Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV |
| 1 | Sept. 8 | Vikings 28, Jets 6 | — | — |
| 2 | Sept. 15 | Vikings 23, 49ers 17 | — | — |
| 3 | Sept. 22 | Vikings 34, Texans 7 | — | — |
| 4 | Sept. 29 | Vikings 31, Packers 29 | — | — |
| 5 | Oct. 6 | Vikings 23, Jets 17 (London) | — | — |
| 6 | Oct. 13 | BYE | — | — |
| 7 | Oct. 20 | vs. Lions | 1 p.m. | Fox |
| 8 | Oct. 24 (Thu.) | at Rams | 8:15 p.m. | Prime Video |
| 9 | Nov. 3 | vs. Colts | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 10 | Nov. 10 | at Jaguars | 1 p.m. | Fox |
| 11 | Nov. 17 | at Titans | 1 p.m. | CBS |
| 12 | Nov. 24 | at Bears | 1 p.m. | Fox |
| 13 | Dec. 1 | vs. Cardinals | 1 p.m. | Fox |
| 14 | Dec. 8 | vs. Falcons | 1 p.m. | Fox |
| 15 | Dec. 16 (Mon.) | vs. Bears | 8 p.m. | ABC |
| 16 | Dec. 22 | at Seahawks | 1 p.m. | Fox |
| 17 | Dec. 29 | vs. Packers | 1 p.m. | Fox |
| 18 | Jan. 5 | at Lions | 1 p.m. | TBD |
