T.J. Hockenson’s Knee Is A Concern
Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
There are so many things to be excited about as a Minnesota Vikings fan right now. There’s that fat contract extension that Justin Jefferson signed, moving into the draft’s top-10 to take quarterback prospect in J.J. McCarthy, getting an absolute steal after trading up (twice!) to draft edge rusher Dallas Turner 17th overall, and a plethora of defensive acquisitions to bolster Bian Flores’ defense heading into the 2024 season. However, there is one small storyline that many Viking fans are overlooking: T.J. Hockenson and the health of his knee.
To recap — On December 24th, 2023, Hockenson took a low hit from safety and fellow knee-biter alum Kerby Joseph. With an injury this severe, (ACL and MCL tear) coupled with how late the injury occurred in the season, it would only make sense to question T.J.’s availability for the start of the 2024 season. So let’s question it. How long do Vikings fans have to wait before we see Hockenson suit up in Purple again on Sundays?
It would be normal for Vikings fans to hope that this injury doesn’t sideline our favorite tight end for much of the 2024 season — maybe even at all — but it’s just not realistic. Viking fans, myself included, have a very skewed vision of what a true timetable looks like for an ACL injury to fully recover.
This is due to all of Vikings fandom witnessing Adrian Peterson come back to become Optimus Prime only eight months after suffering a similar injury. Most NFL players, especially players at skill positions take, conservatively, 12 months to return from an ACL injury. I don’t need to tell you how calendars work, but that doesn’t leave much time on the field for Hockenson in 2024.
The offseason moves we’ve seen from the Vikings also lend to the idea that T.J.’s availability is a concern. The Vikings are carrying over three tight ends from 2023, Josh Oliver, Nick Muse, and Johnny Mundt. Additionally, the Vikings signed veteran and former Packer Robert Tonyan as a free agent. The moves didn’t stop there, with two additional Tight End signings: one through the International Player Pathway program (Sammis Reyes) and another via Undrafted Free Agent contact (South Carolina University’s Trey Knox).
It’s safe to assume the Vikings are loading up on young potential, while also securing a known commodity in Tonyan. It doesn’t take much effort to see where the Vikings are putting their chips.
So when should we expect to see Hockenson? This might be a deflating take for some, but there’s a non-zero chance that Hockenson may not even see the football field in 2024. Remember that the Vikings are starting Sam Darnold this year. This is a team that’s looking to the future, not necessarily just game-planning for today. With J.J. McCarthy in the waits, this is a team that’s poised to make a move in 2025 and beyond.
Because of this, it would only make sense for the Vikings to proceed with caution given the injury sustained by Hockenson and the remote potential for a Super Bowl in 2024. I might not like it, you might not like it, but it may be the correct decision for the player and the team. Unless Darnold can give us his best impersonation of 2017 Case Keenum, this team is probably looking from the outside in the 2024 playoff picture. Let’s hope Hockenson can recover and return to the explosive player we all love, but personally, I’m more excited about witnessing that in 2025 than seeing his knee in action in 2024.
Up Next