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T.J. Hockenson has no timetable for return

By Jared Smola | Updated on Mon, May 20 2024 6:09 PM UTC
T.J. Hockenson Headshot

Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson admitted recently that he has no timetable for return from last year's multi-ligament knee injury. Hockenson tore his right MCL and ACL on December 24. The MCL injury delayed the ACL surgery until January 29, pushing back Hockenson's timeline. He'll be just a little over seven months removed from surgery come Week 1.

What They're Saying

"They haven't really put a timeline on it," Hockenson said of his recovery. "We're just kinda taking it day by day, week by week, there's just so many variables that you can go through in this process. I'm doing really good right now. We're attacking each process. I'm attacking each one and it's been awesome, the progression has been incredible."

2024 Fantasy Football Impact

ACLs typically take nine months to return from, making Hockenson unlikely to be ready for the start of the season. He's a candidate to open on the reserve PUP list, which would cost him the first four games.

Hockenson was excellent before going down last year, averaging 6.5 catches, 64 yards, and 0.4 TDs per game. He was leading all TEs in PPR points through Week 15.

It's worth noting, though, that Hockenson averaged 9.6 targets in eight games WR Justin Jefferson missed all or most of vs. 7.7 in his other six outings.

He'll also be dealing with the departure of QB Kirk Cousins.

Throw all of that on top of the knee injury, and it's tough to get excited about Hockenson as a 2024 draft target. He's at least coming at a discount, with his best-ball ADP sitting 14th among TEs. He's ok to take some shots on at that price.

Other Winners & Losers

WRs Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison should get a target bump for however long Hockenson is out. The Vikings are currently set to trot out Brandon Powell as their No. 3 WR, so it could be a very concentrated passing attack sans Hockenson.

Jared Smola Author Image
Jared Smola, Lead Analyst
Jared has been with since 2007. He’s now Lead Analyst, heading up the preseason and weekly projections that fuel your Draft War Room and My Team tools. He currently ranks 1st among 133 analysts in draft rankings accuracy.
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