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Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson will officially made his 2024 NFL season debut during his team's Sunday Night Football matchup against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9, the team announced on Friday (November 1).
"HE’S BAAAAACK @TheeHOCK8," the Vikings wrote on their X account along with a video package announcing Hockenson's availability.
Hockenson was listed as questionable on the Vikings' injury report before being ruled out ahead of last week's Thursday Night Football loss to the Los Angeles Rams as he continued to work his way back from surgery on ACL and MCL tears in his right knee during Week 16 of the 2023 NFL regular season.
Minnesota opened Hockenson's 21-day practice window on October 4 and has listed him as a limited participant each day since.
“Yeah, it’s early. We’ll make that determination these next couple days,” head coach Kevin O'Connell said on October 21 when asked about the possibility of Hockenson making his season debut in Week 8. “Very much a possibility.”
Hockenson led all NFL tight ends and all Vikings players with 960 receiving yards and ranked second at his position for receptions (95) and eighth for touchdown receptions (5) at the time of his injury last December. The Vikings are currently tied for first place with the Detroit Lions -- who own a tiebreaker for their win in the two teams' Week 7 matchup on Sunday (October 20) -- having began the season with five consecutive wins.