Is TJ Hockenson playing this week? Latest news, updates on Vikings TE status for Week 7 vs. Lions

It’s hard to believe that the undefeated Vikings still have weapons in the wings for their 2024 debut.

One of them is TJ Hockenson, the team’s second-leading receiver from last season, less than 100 yards behind young star Justin Jefferson, who was noticeably absent from seven of Minnesota’s 2023 contests.

The tight end amassed 960 yards on 95 receptions in 15 games, averaging just over 10 yards per catch, and scored five touchdowns from three different quarterbacks. Starter Kirk Cousins ​​— now with the Falcons — left in Week 8 with a season-ending Achilles tendon injury, paving the way for backups Jaren Hall and Josh Dobbs to score a few points.

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Unfortunately, Hockenson’s year ended abruptly seven weeks later when he tore his ACL and ACL against the Lions with two contests left in the regular season. While he started the 2024 campaign completely sidelined, Hockenson’s training window opened in early October and he has made rapid progress since then.

“He did a great job,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said after activating him, according to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “He feels great but we need to get him used to football again.”

Here’s everything you need to know about whether Hockenson will play this week, including the latest updates on the Viking tight end’s status for Week 7 against the Lions.

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Is TJ Hockenson playing this week?

Although Hockenson has made obvious progress in his recovery in recent weeks, he will not make his 2024 debut this Sunday against Detroit.

Seifert reported that the tight end said he “passed every test with flying colors” from a medical standpoint. Seifert explained that Hockenson’s knee is “healed” but still needs more time to get used to the speed of the game and football movements.

There are no estimates on his return other than he will likely take the field in Week 8 or 9, with the Rams and the Colts, respectively.

TJ Hockenson said he “passed every test with flying colors” from a medical perspective. His knee has healed, but the acclimatization process obviously takes time. He has no predictions about when he will play. The most likely destinations are next week in LA or after that against the Colts.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) October 17, 2024

“I wanted him to come back this week, but unfortunately he has to prepare to be in front of people and run routes on people,” Jefferson said of Hockenson, according to Seifert. “But we’ll have it soon, so I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

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Minnesota Vikings 2024 schedule

Here is Minnesota’s complete schedule for the 2024 season, including remaining games and past results:

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	TV
1	September 8th	Viking 28, Jets 6	—	—
2	September 15th	Viking 23, 49ers 17	—	—
3	September 22nd	Viking 34, Texans 7	—	—
4	September 29th	Vikings 31, Packers 29	—	—
5	Oct. 6	Viking 23, Jets 17 (London)	—	—
6	Oct 13	BYE	—	—
7	Oct 20	vs Lions	1 p.m	fox
8	Oct. 24 (Thu.)	at Rams	8:15 p.m	Prime Video
9	November 3rd	against Colts	1 p.m	CBS
10	November 10th	at Jaguars	1 p.m	fox
11	November 17th	at Titans	1 p.m	CBS
12	November 24th	in bears	1 p.m	fox
13	Dec 1st	vs. Cardinals	1 p.m	fox
14	Dec 8th	against hawks	1 p.m	fox
15	Dec. 16 (Mon.)	against bears	8 p.m	ABC
16	Dec 22nd	at Seahawks	1 p.m	fox
17	Dec 29	against Packers	1 p.m	fox
18	January 5th	at Lions	1 p.m	Still open