Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Just two receptions in win
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Hockenson had two receptions for 13 yards on three targets in Sunday's win at Tennessee.
Hockenson was on the field with the starters and played on 35 of the offense's 73 snaps, going out on 25 routes. After drawing nine targets in his previous game, he wasn't utilized as much against the Titan, which was a surprise since he's likely just getting back to full speed in his third game since returning from a torn ACL. He played the same share of snaps (45 percent) as his two previous games, so it's possible he could see increased usage as the season progresses.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: TEs to Start
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Hockenson looked like his old self in Week 10 at Jacksonville with eight catches for 72 yards on nine targets, and hopefully now he's fully recovered from last year's torn ACL. He should have a chance for another quality outing in Week 11 at Tennessee, and the Titans have struggled with tight ends of late. In their past four games, five tight ends have scored at least 7.8 PPR points against Tennessee, including two touchdowns. Hockenson could be a top-five Fantasy tight end in Week 11, especially if he scores.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Paces pass catchers in win
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Hockenson recorded eight receptions on nine targets for 72 yards in Sunday's 12-7 win over the Jaguars.
Sunday marked Hockenson's second game since returning from a torn ACL, but he quickly emerged as a favorite option for Sam Darnold. He tied for the team lead with nine targets and easily led the unit in yardage. Hockenson's longest gain came on a 26-yard catch and run early in the fourth quarter to set Minnesota up for the game-winning field goal. He has the potential to be one of the most impactful players at the position down the stretch, particularly if Darnold continues to struggle when pushing the ball down the field.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Sleeper TEs
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Hockenson had a quiet game in his 2024 debut in Week 9 against the Colts, with three catches for 27 yards on four targets. He only played 45 percent of the snaps, but that should improve in Week 10 at Jacksonville. And the matchup is great since the Jaguars are No. 10 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends. A tight end has scored at least 11.7 PPR points against Jacksonville in four of the past five games, with four touchdowns over that span. Hockenson should be considered a borderline No. 1 Fantasy tight end in all leagues.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Hockenson had a quiet game in his 2024 debut in Week 9 against the Colts with three catches for 27 yards on four targets. He only played 45 percent of the snaps, but that should improve in Week 10 at Jacksonville. And the matchup is great since the Jaguars are No. 10 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends. A tight end has scored at least 11.7 PPR points against Jacksonville in four of the past five games, with four touchdowns over that span. Hockenson should be considered a borderline No. 1 Fantasy tight end in all leagues.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Three catches in return
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Hockenson (knee) caught three of four targets for 27 yards in Sunday's 21-13 win over the Colts.
Hockenson returned from a lengthy recovery from surgery to his MCL and ACL tendons dating back to a Dec. 24 injury in the 2023 season. The star tight end was eased back into action with just four targets Sunday, but he figures to see his workload increase as the season progresses. Make sure Hockenson is rostered in your league, as he could provide significant value at a shallow fantasy position. A road game against Jacksonville is on deck for the Vikings.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Ready to return to action
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Hockenson (knee) doesn't have a designation for Sunday's game against the Colts.
With a trio of full practices behind him this week, Hockenson is poised for his first game action since he tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee Dec. 24. With Hockenson healthy, QB Sam Darnold will have his full allotment of skill-position talent available this weekend, namely WR Justin Jefferson, RB Aaron Jones, Hockenson and WR Jordan Addison.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Sleepers (Start/Sit)
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Hockenson is expected to make his 2024 debut in Week 9 against the Colts, and hopefully he's ready to make a strong contribution for the Vikings and Fantasy managers right away. Indianapolis is No. 4 in most Fantasy points allowed to opposing tight ends, and four tight ends have scored at least 12.4 PPR points against the Colts this year. Hopefully, Hockenson doesn't need to shake off the rust from the knee injury he suffered in Week 16 last season, and he could return as a weekly starter for Fantasy managers to close out the year.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Logs full practice Wednesday
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Hockenson (knee) practiced fully Wednesday.
After the Vikings designated Hockenson for return from the reserve/PUP list on Oct. 4, they had two chances to activate him for game action but opted not to do so. The team then brought him back to the active roster last Friday, and he now is practicing without limitations for the first time since tearing the ACL and MCL in his right knee last December. Hockenson thus has reclaimed his spot atop the depth chart at tight end for Minnesota as the team begins preparations for Sunday's contest agains the Colts.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Activated from PUP list
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Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell announced Friday that Hockenson (knee) has been activated from the reserve/PUP list.
In a corresponding move, Minnesota placed left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee) on injured reserve to clear a spot on the 53-man roster for Hockenson. After suffering ACL and MCL tears last December and undergoing surgery on his right knee in January, Hockenson was sidelined for the start of the season before he was cleared to practice Oct. 4. With his 21-day evaluation window officially closing Friday, the Vikings added Hockenson back to the roster in anticipation that he'll be ready to make his 2024 debut Sunday, Nov. 3 versus the Colts. Considering that Hockenson hadn't advanced beyond limited participation since he resumed practicing earlier this month, he'll likely need to put in at least one full practice during the upcoming week before the Vikings officially clear him to play against Indianapolis.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Won't play Week 8, should be back Week 9
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The Vikings downgraded Hockenson (knee) to out for Thursday's game against the Rams, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Hockenson's 21-day practice window wraps up Friday, but the team intends to activate him from the reserve/PUP list before the 4:00 p.m. ET deadline and have him available for a Week 9 matchup agains the Colts on Sunday, Nov. 3. He tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee last season on Dec. 24, so he's exactly 10 months removed from sustaining the injuries.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Officially questionable for Thursday
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Hockenson (knee), who remains on the reserve/PUP list, is officially listed as questionable for Thursday's game against the Rams.
Hockenson will need to be added to the 53-man roster in order to be eligible to play Thursday, but the team hasn't yet committed to the standout tight end making his season debut Week 8. Given that Hockenson is working his way back from surgery to address ACL and MCL tears in his right knee, fantasy managers will need to be wary of the real possibility that he's worked in slowly even once cleared to play. The Vikings officially opened Hockenson's 21-day practice window Oct. 4, and he's been listed as a limited participant in every practice since.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Listed as questionable
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Hockenson (knee) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Lions.
Hockenson returned to practice two weeks ago on Oct. 4, and the Vikings now will need to activate him from the reserve/PUP list by Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET if he's going to play this Sunday. Fantasy managers thus should have a decision on his availability at least 21 hours before the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff Sunday, although Hockenson won't be the same lineup lock he was in past years for what would be his first game back from ACL and MCL tears. He said Thursday that he still wasn't sure if he'd play this weekend, according to Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Another limited session
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Hockenson (knee) was limited at Thursday's practice.
Hockenson is nearing the end of his second week of the 21-day window in which the Vikings have to evaluate him and eventually activate him from the reserve/PUP list. So far, he's logged three consecutive capped sessions going back to Oct. 4, and he even spoke about his odds to play Sunday against the Lions. "Yeah, I don't know," Hockenson told Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune on Thursday. "I mean, it all depends day to day. ... As long as I'm feeling good and rolling, we'll just keep it there." The Vikings will need to activate Hockenson by Saturday at 4:00 p.m. ET in order for him to have a chance to suit up this weekend, but first Friday's injury report will reveal if he has a designation for Sunday's contest.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Practice window to open Friday
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Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell said Wednesday the team plans to designate Hockenson (knee) for a return to practice Friday, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.
Hockenson spent the first four games of the regular season on the reserve/PUP list while working his way back from right ACL and MCL tears sustained Dec. 24 of last season. Minnesota plans for Hockenson to travel with the team to London ahead of Sunday's game against the Jets and have his first practice session Friday. At that time, Hockenson's official 21-day practice window will open. Hockenson doesn't seem to be in consideration to face New York on Sunday, after which point the Vikings will benefit from a bye week. The team hasn't yet offered a definitive timetable for Hockenson's return, but Oct. 20 versus the Lions in Week 7 and Oct. 24 against the Rams in Week 8 could be in play.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: May be targeting post-bye return
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The Vikings are thought to be loosely targeting a return from the reserve/PUP list for Hockenson (knee) after the team's Week 6 bye, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
Minnesota placed Hockenson on the reserve/PUP list upon trimming down to a 53-man roster, which rules the standout tight end out for at least the first four games of the season, but it sounds like Hockenson's return to the field could take until Week 7, after the team's bye. That makes sense considering not only Hockenson's recovery timetable, as he works his way back from right ACL and MCL tears suffered late last December, but also the Vikings' schedule. The team has an overseas Week 5 matchup against the Jets prior to the bye. Until Hockenson is cleared to retake the field, Johnny Mundt and Josh Oliver are slated to hold down the fort at the tight end position.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Starting season on PUP list
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Hockenson (knee) will be on the PUP list to start the regular season, ruling him out for at least the first four games, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.
Hockenson has been on the active/PUP list since the start of training camp and will now shift to reserve/PUP on Tuesday as teams cut their rosters down to 53 players. He won't count against that limit for at least the first four weeks of the season, which means his earliest date for a 2024 debut would be Week 5 against the Jets (Oct. 6). Hockenson had the best statistical season of his career in 2023, only to see it marred by ACL and MCL tears on a hard hit to the knee during a Dec. 24 game against Detroit. Johnny Mundt and Josh Oliver will take most of Minnesota's TE snaps until Hockenson is ready.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Likely out for start of season
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Hockenson (knee) isn't likely to be ready for Week 1 and could miss anywhere from three to seven regular-season games, ESPN.com's Jeremy Fowler reports.
While previous reports perhaps came off as more optimistic, Hockenson has always faced an uphill battle to be ready for the start of the season after suffering ACL and MCL tears on Dec. 24. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said last week that Hockenson is, "very well ahead of maybe where some of the medical folks thought he would be," but also cautioned that, "a timeline exists and we're going to try to stay true to that." Hockenson remains on the active/PUP list after two weeks of training camp, and it won't come as any surprise if he heads into the regular season on the reserve/PUP list, which would rule him out for the first four games. In the meantime, TE snaps and targets seem to be up for grabs between Josh Oliver, Johnny Mundt and Robert Tonyan (back).
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Officially shifts to PUP list
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The Vikings placed Hockenson (knee) on the active/PUP list Monday.
The transaction confirms an announcement by coach Kevin O'Connell earlier Monday. Hockenson is eligible to come off the PUP list at any point during training camp or the preseason, once he's ready to practice, but given the timing of his late-January procedure to repair a torn ACL, the 27-year-old tight end seems like a real candidate to miss some time early in the regular season. Josh Oliver, Robert Tonyan and Johnny Mundt will be candidates to benefit from increased first-team reps as long as Hockenson remains sidelined.
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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson: Undergoes surgery
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Hockenson (knee) underwent successful ACL surgery Monday.
Hockenson's season ended when he tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee on Dec. 26. Given how late in the season his injury occurred, the star tight end is presumably in danger of not being ready for the start of the 2024 season. He now will move forward with the rehab process as the offseason gets underway.
