The Minnesota Vikings are expected to miss Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson for the first four to six weeks of the 2024 season as he continues his recovery from a knee injury suffered late last year.
While Hockenson’s condition is under close watch, Inside the Vikings’ Will Ragatz reported on May 23 that the team has signed former Green Bay Packers tight end Robert Tonyan as a precautionary measure. Hockenson has used his recovery time to reflect on the play that sidelined him for potentially up to nine months.
The injury occurred when Hockenson caught a pass and had his legs taken out by Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph, a dangerous play for both players involved. “It’s tough. It really is,” Hockenson told reporters on April 14. “We’re big guys, obviously, running through the middle of the field. And this is a business, and I don’t think anybody goes out on the field wanting to injure a player like that. So I’m looking at the light of that and hoping that’s not what the intent was, to injure a player in that sense.”
Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee also tore his ACL and MCL on a low hit from Joseph a few weeks later. Joseph faced scrutiny but was not penalized by the NFL for either hit. The Vikings’ decision to sign Tonyan is seen as a proactive move to ensure depth at the tight end position in Hockenson’s absence.
“Looking for additional tight end depth to help them survive what’s expected to be at least a 4-6 week absence for T.J. Hockenson, the Vikings brought in veteran Robert Tonyan,” Ragatz wrote, signaling a potential return for Hockenson in October at the earliest.
Tonyan, 30, impressed during his workout and is expected to be a significant pass-catching option in the tight-end room alongside Hockenson. Tonyan has 171 career receptions for 1,764 yards and 20 touchdowns in his six-year career. “(He) had a great workout for us,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said, per Ragatz. “It was one of those workouts where you just watch the guy run and catch, understands what you’re asking him to do, from his experience. And it was kind of a no-brainer. Everyone just looked around and said yeah, you know? Like, let’s get him.”
Meanwhile, Hockenson, who signed a four-year, $66 million extension last season, may start the season on the injured reserve (IR) list, which requires players to sit a minimum of four games. Hockenson tore his ACL and MCL after taking a low hit from Joseph in Week 16. He underwent successful surgery on January 29 after a delay to allow his MCL to heal, according to the Star Tribune.
Reflecting on the incident, Hockenson emphasized the importance of player safety. “I think that to have it happen a couple weeks later, I think that’s something that the league needs to look at and just see what … could they do,” Hockenson added. “You trust that the players are going to protect each other. Sometimes that doesn’t happen in the heat of the game, and that’s understandable. But the fact is that you don’t want a guy coming in like, ‘Hey, I’m going to do this to this guy.’
“I hope that’s not what the case was, and I hope that’s not the case in any player. … I’m not saying that is or that isn’t. But you really want the players to protect other players. And whether it’s taught or it’s not taught from the team or from the league, you just want to be able to protect another guy. Because that’s his career, that’s his livelihood. And you don’t want to affect that in any sense. And that’s what it’s done.”