T.J. Hockenson’s Minnesota Vikings debut against the Washington Commanders two years ago still seems unbelievable. The Vikings traded for Hockenson on November 1, 2022, and he had nine catches for 70 yards five days later.
“Just his football intelligence, his love for the game,” said Wes Phillips. “For him to come in on a short week and, you know, we try to make things as digestible as possible. But especially when you’re coming in mid-year, and you’re trying to learn the offense. Really just, you’re learning that game plan.”
Two years ago, Hockenson quickly processed Minnesota’s game plan and made an instant impact. On Sunday, the Vikings eased him in off the ACL injury. Hockenson only played 45% of snaps and ran 24 routes on 39 Sam Darnold dropbacks. Darnold targeted him three times, and he had three catches for 27 yards.
The U.S. Bank crowd cheered when he stepped on the field for warmups, then again when the stadium camera showed him stretching with his teammates. Minnesota opened Hockenson’s 21-day practice window in London, and he came close to returning against the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.
Still, they held him out during the short week and deployed him against the Indianapolis Colts. He caught his first pass on Minnesota’s third play of the game. It was a two-yard out route on first-and-10, but the crowd cheered so loudly that the Vikings had to quiet it to run their next play.
“It was cool,” said Hockenson. “I was excited to be back. I was excited to get a first touch quickly and to hear them go. It’s been a long road for me, so I was just happy to be out there with the boys, and to be able to be in front of these fans. Truly incredible.”
Hockenson has been working his way back since Kerby Joseph hit him in the knee in Week 16 last year. He said the injury put him in a dark place, and he’s had a long rehab process to get back. Still, Hockenson looked like the player he was before the injury, albeit in a limited role.
While he didn’t have ten catches for 100 yards, he unlocked Minnesota’s offense by opening things for his teammates. Justin Jefferson had his second 100-yard game in a row, catching seven passes for 137 yards. The Vikings also “freed three.” Jordan Addison finished with five catches for 42 yards and a touchdown, including two receptions on the first drive.
Hockenson can contribute in the run game as a blocker, and Aaron Jones finished with 64 yards. Cam Akers added 46 in his first snaps with the Vikings this season.
“To me, those three guys are who we want to build our offense around, with Aaron Jones and our running game being a major part of what we want to do,” said Kevin O’Connell, referring to Jefferson, Hockenson, and Addison. “We’ve got a lot of weapons.”
Josh Oliver also finished with five catches for 58 yards and a touchdown.
“I love 8-4,” said Hockenson. “He’s a dog in the trenches. … They kinda let him go a few times, and that’s awesome. I love seeing that.”
Hockenson’s presence took the pressure off Jefferson. It also allowed the Vikings to get the ball to Addison, who only had three targets and two receptions for 22 yards against the Los Angeles Rams.
Darnold’s two interceptions and questionable fumble stalled the offense in the first quarter. Still, Minnesota’s defense kept it in the game, and the offense prevailed in the second half. The Colts kept Hockenson from beating him in his return. However, he kept their defense from locking down Jefferson, Addison, and Jones throughout the game.
After a long wait, he was back.
“Feels great…just obviously the energy to be back out there on the field, hear the Skol chants, hear everybody getting loud, and kind of doing our own thing,” said Hockneson. “I mean, we were able to move the ball. We just had to score a little bit in the first half, and we started making that happen in the second half, so good corrections, and now we’re on a roll.”
Hockenson may take a few weeks to return to form. However, as he showed from his first game in a Vikings uniform, he can make an immediate impact even when he’s not at full capacity.
