The offensive skill players lineup of the Minnesota Vikings, which includes Aaron Jones, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Ty Chandler, is among the best in the league.
But it looks like the Vikings may have to wait to find out if Hockenson will be available in 2024.
In an interview that took place during the release of the 2024 schedule, Hockenson stated that his doctors and trainers had not given him a timeframe for when he would return. However, rumors surfaced in the most recent Scoop City segment of The Athletic that the star tight end might be put on the physically unable to perform list, meaning he would miss the minimum of the first four weeks of the season. When Hockenson was playing against the Detroit Lions in Week 16, he tore his ACL and MCL.
The development makes the signing of former Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan last week all the more sense. Josh Oliver, who the coaching staff really likes, is Hockenson’s top successor. Johnny Mundt is also a possibility, but he’s more of a special teams man. Still, the crew adores him, just like Oliver. You can tell exactly where he stands because Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell called him the best TE3 in the NFL.
Following them are Tonyan, Nick Muse, Trey Knox, an undrafted rookie, and Sammis Reyes, a participant in the International Pathway Program. The Vikings will definitely need a trustworthy target to complement Oliver and Mundt if Hockenson can’t play until Week 4; together, those three players have only played 41 offensive snaps in their careers. Conversely, Tonyan has played 2,118 offensive snaps in 85 games, including 24 starts. 2020 was his best year as a receiver, hauling in 52 passes for 586 yards and 11 touchdowns.
With TJ out, “I think he’s really going to help us,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips of the Vikings told reporters on Tuesday. “I believe Robert could kind of step into some of the roles that TJ performed for us. We will be missing a great deal of TJ’s production for a short while. And I believe he can make up a sizable portion of that shortfall.”
Many guys have made incredible recoveries from ACL tears. Just last year, after rupturing his in Week 17 of the 2022 season, former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Jordyn Brooks was returned to action by Week 1.
Therefore, even though Hockenson’s situation doesn’t seem as promising right now, don’t throw it out entirely.
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