Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson believes low hits 'something the league needs' to look into

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson has spent the past five months thinking about the season-ending knee injury he suffered late in the 2023 season. His takeaway: Vulnerable offensive players are not protected the way they need to be.

Hockenson suffered a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee during the Vikings’ Week 16 game against the Lions. It was hard enough that the injury came against his former team, on a hit delivered by his former teammate, safety Kerby Joseph. But the fact that it occurred so late in the year, Hockenson now could miss the start of the 2024 NFL season.

“Obviously, I wasn’t too happy about it,” he said at the start of Lions’ voluntary offseason workout on Monday, via ESPN.

Hockenson believes there’s a double standard at work with the current NFL rules, with offensive players often flagged for low cut blocks but defensive players able to hit ball carriers at the knee or below. Neither the hit by Joseph on Hockenson nor the one Joseph delivered on the Rams’ Tyler Higbee a few weeks later in the playoffs were flagged for a penalty.

“It’s challenging,” Hockenson stated. “Indeed, it is. We’re large individuals moving across the center of the field. This is a business, and I don’t believe anyone steps onto the field intending to harm a player in such a manner. So, I’m focusing on the positive side, hoping that wasn’t the intended outcome, to hurt a player in that way. However, when it occurs again a few weeks later [with Higbee], I believe that’s something the league needs to examine and determine what actions can be taken.”

While Hockenson didn’t accuse his ex-teammate Joseph of deliberately attempting to injure him during the play, the tight end believes something needs to shift. Ideally, this would create a scenario where players can also support each other.

“Hockenson stated, “I have a good understanding of Kerby since we’ve played together. I genuinely don’t believe his intent was to cause injury. Upon reviewing the footage, you can see the incident. Knowing him as I do, I don’t believe that was his intention.”

I’m speaking up simply to confirm that it didn’t happen. It’s a known fact in the league that players look out for each other, regardless of which part they play. We don’t condone any player, whether on defense or offense, intentionally trying to harm another by targeting the head or knee.

Hockenson expressed his preference for Joseph hitting him too high rather than too low, despite the risk of a potential concussion.

“Hockenson said, “This has sidelined me for nine months, not just two or three weeks. I can’t even train.”

If I had a typical offseason, I would have spent it preparing for the season. I’m aware that some concussions are more severe than others, but I prefer not to dwell on which are worse or better. I’ve experienced a concussion, and it took me a week to recover. I’m simply viewing it from that specific timeframe.

Hockenson’s return to the field does not have a definite schedule. If he takes nine months to recover, he could be back around late September or early October.

Despite missing two games last season, 26-year-old Hockenson still managed to set new career records with 95 receptions and 960 receiving yards, along with catching five touchdowns.