T.J. Hockenson's wife drops 2-word message to celebrate Vikings TE's return from injury
Tight end T.J. Hockenson took the field on Sunday night for the first time since December. The tight end finally recovered from a right knee injury and helped his team beat the Indianapolis Colts in primetime.
The Minnesota Vikings shared a video on their official Instagram account of their players arriving at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday a few hours before kickoff. Hockenson is in the video arriving and walking into the Vikings' locker room. Mikala Hockenson, his wife, reshared the photo and added a caption showing her excitement for his return to the field.
"Let's Go!!"-Mikala Hockenson wrote on her Instagram story
Hockenson didn't see a lot of action in his return but did have three catches for a total of 27 yards. The tight end should see an uptick in production throughout the next few weeks as a reliable target for quarterback Sam Darnold as the Minnesota Vikings continue to compete for the NFC North division title.
Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson said patience was key to his return
Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson suffered a torn ACL and MCL injury in December after having a solid season with 95 catches for 960 yards and five touchdowns. It had been 10 months since Hockenson suffered the knee injury and he told reporters ahead of Sunday's game that although it was long, he knew it was necessary. The tight end spent the first eight weeks of the season on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list.
Hockenson said that he was initially told his recovery would be about nine months and that although he felt ready to go during training camp, he was grateful to the training staff for keeping him on track.
“You do really have to stay patient with something like this. I’ve felt good for months now, but to actually go out there, there’s data that says nine months is the key.”-Hockenson said about his return after an ACL injury
The Minnesota Vikings passing game is built around star wide receiver Justin Jefferson. Adding Hockenson back to the fold and having him work the middle of the field gives the Vikings' offense another dimension which allowed Minnesota to pull off the 21-13 win on Sunday night.