Former Iowa Star Delivers Major Status Update

This former Iowa Hawkeyes star has provided a major status update on himself heading into the Minnesota Vikings' Week 12 game.

Nov 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) waves to the crowd against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Former Iowa Hawkeyes star T.J. Hockenson has had a rough 11 months with the Minnesota Vikings.

Last December, Hockenson suffered a devastating knee injury that knocked him out for the remainder of 2023 and the first half of 2024.

The two-time Pro Bowler returned to the field earlier this month and has been up and down, logging 13 catches for 112 yards on 16 targets.

The good news is that Hockenson will likely be seeing more action as the season progresses.

While speaking to reporters this week, Hockenson said that he "would expect things to go up" in terms of his playing time heading into Week 12 and beyond, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN.

Considering that fellow Vikings tight end Josh Oliver has been ruled out with an ankle injury for Minnesota's Sunday matchup with the Chicago Bears, it stands to reason that Hockenson will, in fact, see more snaps this weekend.

Hockenson was originally selected by the Detroit Lions with the eighth overall pick of the 2019 NFL Draft.

He broke out during his second season with the Lions, hauling in 67 receptions for 723 yards and six touchdowns en route to his first Pro Bowl appearance.

The 27-year-old was traded to the Vikings midway through the 2022 campaign and earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl that year after snaring 86 balls for 914 yards and six scores.

Hockenson was actually in the middle of the bestseason of his career in 2023 before going down with the knee injury, as he had caught 95 passes for 960 yards while reaching the end zone five times through 15 games.

We'll see if the Iowa product can get back on track this Sunday.