Inside The Vikings

KOC Confirms Season-Ending Injuries For D.J. Wonnum, T.J. Hockenson

Hockenson and Wonnum are both out for the remainder of the season.
Will Ragatz|
KOC Confirms Season-Ending Injuries For D.J. Wonnum, T.J. Hockenson
KOC Confirms Season-Ending Injuries For D.J. Wonnum, T.J. Hockenson

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Minnesota Vikings

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell confirmed on Tuesday that tight end T.J. Hockenson and outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum suffered season-ending injuries in Sunday's game against the Lions.

Hockenson suffered injuries to his ACL and MCL when he took a direct hit to the knee, O'Connell said. He'll be on the road to recovery and speculatively, it seems like it's not a guarantee he'll be ready to go for the start of the 2024 season. The Vikings will move forward with Josh Oliver and Johnny Mundt as their top two tight ends for the rest of this season.

It's a bummer for Hockenson, who had a huge year in his first full season with the Vikings. Across 15 games, he caught 95 passes for 960 yards and five touchdowns; he leads all tight ends in the NFL in receptions at this moment and trails only Travis Kelce in yardage. Hockenson is under contract through the 2027 season after signing a four-year, $66 million extension in training camp this year.

Wonnum suffered a torn quad in the fourth quarter that will end his strong season. He had eight sacks, six passes defended, and a fumble return touchdown this year, making a strong impression in a contract year. Unfortunately, this injury could complicate his mark this offseason as he hits free agency for the first time. The 2020 fourth-round pick out of South Carolina wasn't supposed to be a full-time starter this season, but he stepped in for an injured Marcus Davenport and played well in an expanded role.

O'Connell said rookies Jordan Addison (ankle) and Mekhi Blackmon (shoulder) are day-to-day, which means they should have a chance to play against the Packers on Sunday night.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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