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Vikings' T.J. Hockenson Addresses Controversial Hit That Resulted in His ACL Tear
Hockenson wants answers from the league on the low hit that caused his torn ACL.
It's been almost four months since Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson suffered a torn ACL and MCL after taking a low hit from Lions safety Kerby Joseph in a Week 16 game at U.S. Bank Stadium. Hockenson, whose recovery process is expected to sideline him for the start of the 2024 season, spoke to reporters on Monday and commented on the injury — and the controversial hit that caused it — for the first time.
"Obviously, I wasn't too happy about it," Hockenson said. "That's not a fun one to take. And that's not necessarily based on him as a player. I've got nothing against him, I played with him in Detroit and I understand that's kind of what they expect you to do in the league. But I would've much rather gone down with a concussion for two weeks than have to go through this for nine months. (Offensive players) can't cut (block) outside of the tackle box, so it doesn't really make sense why these (defensive players) are able to go as low as they are. When you're 25 yards downfield, looking back at the quarterback, you don't have any awareness."
A few weeks later, the Lions were taking on the Rams in the first round of the playoffs when Joseph did the same thing to Los Angeles tight end Tyler Higbee. Another hit to the knee area, another season-ending torn ACL.
"To have that happen again, (three) weeks later, I didn't really like that," Hockenson said.
While discussing the hit, Hockenson straddled the line between criticizing Joseph's actions and giving him the benefit of the doubt. He said multiple times that he doesn't have anything against Joseph, but it was also pretty clear that he's upset about what happened. He hopes there was no intent to injure on the plays that took him and Higbee out, and he also wishes the NFL's rules didn't give defenders reasons to believe they should go low instead of hitting higher up on the body. Joseph wasn't penalized or fined for either hit.
"I definitely don't think I have it against the player as much as the league putting the defense in those positions in order to have to do that," Hockenson said. "I don't think anybody goes out onto the field wanting to injure a player like that. I'm hoping that's not what the intent was. To have it happen a couple weeks later, I think that's something the league needs to look at."
"I don't really know what (the league) can do," he added. "I do know the helmet was down, both hits, staring at the ground with the crown of the helmet. It doesn't put the offensive player in a good position. It doesn't put the defensive player in a good position. I mean, his helmet's straight down, looking at the ground. That's not a good football tackle."
These hits from Lions safety Kerby Joseph resulted in season-ending ACL injuries for T.J. Hockenson and Tyler Higbee.
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Hockenson talked about the level of trust that has to exist among NFL players when they go out onto the field, knowing how physical the game is and how they're always one play away from a career-altering injury.
"You go out, trusting the defense not to take you out," he said. "You trust the offense not to take you out. You really want the players to protect other players. Because that's (someone's) career, that's his livelihood, and you don't want to affect that in any sense, and that what it's done (to me). At any point, any play, your career could be over. And you don't want to be the guy that did that. At least I don't."
"I don't think it was (intentional)," he said. "I just want to make sure it wasn't. That's why I'm using my voice here."
Hockenson said he's progressing well in his rehab, complimenting the Vikings' medical staff for the recovery plan they've put together. But he still has a long ways to go in this process, and is almost certainly going to miss at least a few games to start the regular season — all because of a low hit that didn't have to happen. That's what frustrates him the most.
"You don't want a defensive guy head hunting, you don't want a defensive guy knee hunting, and the same thing for an offensive guy," Hockenson said. "You don't want me to come across the line and just try to come after you and take you out. That's not my goal. That's not anybody's goal. My goal is to get my job done and to help this team. There's also ways to do that without injuring a guy and affecting his career."
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