The Minnesota Vikings caught a tough break earlier this week when the NFL announced a three-game suspension for wide receiver Jordan Addison on the heels of injuries to both wideout Justin Jefferson and star tight end T.J. Hockenson.
However, the franchise shared a piece of good news on Wednesday, August 6, as Hockenson returned to the practice field.
Hockenson suffered what sounded like a potentially complex injury during a weekend practice based on how head coach Kevin O’Connell described it to media members Monday.
“Kevin O’Connell said tight end T.J. Hockenson is dealing with a ‘hip, leg, back — whatever you want to classify it [as],” issue that he suffered in practice on Saturday,” Judd Zulgad of SKOR North reported via social media on August 4. “[Center] Ryan Kelly has ‘an elbow thing that got stretched out the wrong way. He’ll be fine,’ O’Connell said.”
As it turns out, Hockenson would be fine also, though O’Connell didn’t include that as part of his vague injury description Monday. The tight end sat out that practice before returning to action Wednesday.
Andrew Krammar of the Minnesota Star Tribune described the injury in real-time on August 2 as a “lower-body” issue “based on how Hockenson [was] trying to shake if off.”
Krammar added that Hockenson indicated verbally that he would be okay as he exited the practice field, but that the tight end did so with a “noticeable limp.”
T.J. Hockenson Crucial Part of Vikings Offense, Particularly With J.J. McCarthy Poised to Start at QB for 1st Time
Hockenson’s return is a sigh of relief for the team and its fanbase after serious health issues have impeded the two-time Pro Bowler in his work since joining Minnesota during the 2022 campaign.
Hockenson tore his ACL and MCL late in 2023, which sidelined him for the rest of that season and well into last year. He played in a total of 10 regular-season contests in 2024 and his production suffered accordingly, as he gained just 455 receiving yards and failed to find the end zone.
Tight ends are a particularly important part of several modern NFL offenses, even more so when there is a young quarterback under center. Minnesota appears prepared to start second-year signal-caller J.J. McCarthy in Week 1, despite the fact that the 22-year-old missed the entirety of his rookie campaign in 2024 due to knee issues of his own.
J.J. McCarthy Has Faced, Will Face Multiple Setbacks Early in 2025 Due to Issues Involving Pass-Catchers
Hockenson’s healthy presence, along with a revamped offensive line in which the Vikings invested a first-round pick and well north of $100 million this offseason, should help ease McCarthy’s transition to the pros after a serious injury and approximately 20 months since his last official game, which came as a collegiate QB at the University of Michigan.
McCarthy has also missed significant reps with Jefferson since training camp started, as he is currently sidelined with a hamstring issue.
Minnesota doesn’t have much of a security blanket behind McCarthy, after O’Connell benched backup QB Sam Howell over the weekend in favor of third-stringer Brett Rypien.
The Vikings are likely to pursue a veteran quarterback in the coming weeks to serve as McCarthy’s No. 2, though the team has a ton riding on the NFL sophomore and needs to provide him with every possible advantage and every possible chance to succeed.
