The Minnesota Vikings are on the verge of getting one of their best players back on the field. It just won't be in Week 8.
Tight end T.J. Hockenson has been sidelined since tearing his ACL last December, and on the reserve/PUP list all season. However, he won't be activated in advance of the "Thursday Night Football" showdown with the Los Angeles Rams as Minnesota has downgraded him to out.
The Vikings, per NFL Media, plan to activated Hockenson Friday, thus making him eligible to return in Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts on "Sunday Night Football."
On Monday, head coach Kevin O'Connell said Hockenson had a chance to return this week against the Rams, but the team ultimately decided the two-time Pro Bowler wasn't yet ready.
Hockenson has been a massive part of Minnesota's offense immediately upon arrival via trade in 2022. In his 25 games with the team, the star tight end caught 155 passes for 1,479 yards and eight touchdowns. On a per-game basis, he averaged 2.2 more receptions (6.2 vs. 4.0) and 15.2 more yards (59.2 vs. 44) than he did during his time with the Detroit Lions, who made him a first-round pick in 2019.
Hockenson signed a four-year, $63.5 million extension shortly before last season, making him the league's second-highest paid tight end in the league by average annual value. If he regains the form he had that earned him said extension, the Vikings will sport one of the league's top pass-catching trios with Hockenson working alongside wideouts Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison.
