The Minnesota Vikings have been outstanding through four games, winning all four of them while trailing only for a total of three minutes and 26 seconds. Sam Darnold has been operating an efficient offense despite missing Jordan Addison for two-and-a-half games and Justin Jefferson for almost the entire second half in Week 2.
T.J. Hockenson’s Potential Return Date Comes to Light
The third premier piece of the explosive passing attack is T.J. Hockenson. He suffered a torn ACL in Week 16 of last season when his former Lions teammate Kerby Joseph tackled him low.
Hockenson’s surgery was delayed because of swelling and was performed in late January. Ever since, there hadn’t been any indications about a return.
On Sunday, however, Adam Schefter tweeted: “Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson, coming off a major knee injury of his own, also is nearing a return to practice. The most likely return-to-play dates for Hockenson currently are the Thursday night, Oct 24 game in Los Angeles, or the following week’s home game against the Colts.”
The Vikings kept the tight end on the PUP list throughout cutdown day, ruling him out for the first four games. He is now eligible to be activated.
Minnesota can open his 21-day practice window, and he can fully participate in practices until the team activates him and adds him to the 53-man roster. On Monday, Kevin O’Connell talked about it but remained noncommittal.
Kevin Seifert (ESPN) tweeted on Monday: “Vikings are still ‘working through’ when to open the PUP practice windows of TE T.J. Hockenson and OG Dalton Risner, per Kevin O’Connell. ‘Unique aspect’ of London trip, followed by the bye, could delay. ‘We want to give them the ample amount of practice time.'”
Indeed, the Week 5 game in London certainly plays a role, and the following bye week gives the Vikings more time to ease him in. A rematch with Joseph looms in Week 7 and a home game against the Rams in Week 8, the game Schefter mentioned as a likely return date.
Backup guard Dalton Risner suffered a back injury in training camp and was placed on IR to start the season. He is now also eligible to return, although there hasn’t been any reporting on his status. Risner could be an option if injury arises or the coaching staff isn’t happy with an offensive guard, but for now, he shouldn’t be expected to enter the starting lineup.
Unlike Hockenson. The tight end has been one of the team’s best players since arriving in the Twin Cities. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah acquired him from the Detroit Lions at the 2022 trade deadline, and he immediately became a focal point in the offense.
“Hock” is a key player in the running game and, of course, a prolific pass-catcher over the middle of the field. In his 25 regular season games with the Vikings, Hockenson caught 155 passes for 1,479 yards and eight touchdowns. Possibly his best game, however, came in the playoffs, when he caught ten passes for 129 yards, terrorizing the Giants in a losing effort.
His return will make the offense even more dangerous. A passing game that features Jefferson, Addison, and Hockenson is almost impossible to defend.
If Schefter is correct, Hockenson will miss two more games.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt
The Vikings kept the tight end on the PUP list throughout cutdown day, ruling him out for the first four games. He is now eligible to be activated.
Minnesota can open his 21-day practice window, and he can fully participate in practices until the team activates him and adds him to the 53-man roster. On Monday, Kevin O’Connell talked about it but remained noncommittal.
Kevin Seifert (ESPN) tweeted on Monday: “Vikings are still ‘working through’ when to open the PUP practice windows of TE T.J. Hockenson and OG Dalton Risner, per Kevin O’Connell. ‘Unique aspect’ of London trip, followed by the bye, could delay. ‘We want to give them the ample amount of practice time.'”
Indeed, the Week 5 game in London certainly plays a role, and the following bye week gives the Vikings more time to ease him in. A rematch with Joseph looms in Week 7 and a home game against the Rams in Week 8, the game Schefter mentioned as a likely return date.
Backup guard Dalton Risner suffered a back injury in training camp and was placed on IR to start the season. He is now also eligible to return, although there hasn’t been any reporting on his status. Risner could be an option if injury arises or the coaching staff isn’t happy with an offensive guard, but for now, he shouldn’t be expected to enter the starting lineup.
Unlike Hockenson. The tight end has been one of the team’s best players since arriving in the Twin Cities. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah acquired him from the Detroit Lions at the 2022 trade deadline, and he immediately became a focal point in the offense.
“Hock” is a key player in the running game and, of course, a prolific pass-catcher over the middle of the field. In his 25 regular season games with the Vikings, Hockenson caught 155 passes for 1,479 yards and eight touchdowns. Possibly his best game, however, came in the playoffs, when he caught ten passes for 129 yards, terrorizing the Giants in a losing effort.
His return will make the offense even more dangerous. A passing game that features Jefferson, Addison, and Hockenson is almost impossible to defend.
If Schefter is correct, Hockenson will miss two more games.
