Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson is ahead of schedule in his recovery from surgery to repair MCL and ACL tears suffered on Christmas Eve.
The 27-year-old Hockenson, who reported to training camp on Sunday, will begin on the physically unable to perform list, Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said Monday.
“He’s well ahead of schedule from a standpoint of some of the benchmarks on his rehab. T.J., looking back at the offseason program, did not miss really a day outside of going to see his surgeon in Los Angeles,” O’Connell said. “He was here every single day and that continued through the summer. The significant injury that it was, we want to make sure to follow our plan to when T.J. gets on the field and continues to do more and more throughout training camp. And hopefully, at some point when he’s ready to go — we want to make sure everything is done the right way for T.J., because he’s such a significant part of our organization.”
The Vikings signed former Packers and Bears tight end Robert Tonyan in free agency and start training camp with eight players on the depth chart at the position.
The team’s leading receiver in 2023, Hockenson had 95 receptions for 960 yards and five touchdowns last season — thriving despite a revolving door at quarterback for Minnesota — before the season-ending injury against his former team on Dec. 24. Hockenson was acquired from the Lions in 2022.