EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings' slim playoff hopes got even slimmer Tuesday.
The team announced tight end T.J. Hockenson will miss the remainder of the season after tearing both his ACL and MCL during Sunday's loss to the Detroit Lions.
Hockenson left the game in the third quarter after getting tackled following a first-down catch. The former All-Pro was helped off the field and quickly ruled out for the remainder of the game. Hockenson, who leads the team in both receptions (95) and receiving yards (960), struggled at times earlier this season with drops, but rebounded to become one of Minnesota's reliable targets as of late.
"Looking back — whether it be when we've had Kirk (Cousins) go down, (Justin Jefferson) go down, some of our guys up front — T.J. has been a constant throughout the whole season," said Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell on Tuesday. "He's been incredibly tough dealing with some things throughout the year — managing those, working through those — and still being available each and every Sunday."
Minnesota will also be without linebacker D.J. Wonnum the rest of the way after he tore his quadriceps Sunday on a non-contact injury.
The Vikings (7-8) are currently chasing one of the final wild card spots after the Lions captured their first division title in 30 years. With two games remaining — a New Year's Eve matchup with the Green Bay Packers and a rematch with the Lions on Jan. 7 — Minnesota is in "win-now" mode, while also needing a little help.
One of the wild card spots has already been secured by either the Philadelphia Eagles or Dallas Cowboys, whichever team doesn't win the division, leaving just two positions up for grabs. Currently the Los Angeles Rams (8-7) and the Seattle Seahawks (8-7) are clinging to those spots.
The Packers (7-8) are also fighting for one of the final wild card spots, setting up a playoff-type showdown on New Year's Eve at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Watch more coverage of Minnesota sports:
Watch the latest reports from the KARE 11 sports team in our YouTube playlist:
WATCH MORE ON KARE 11+
Download the free KARE 11+ app for Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV and other smart TV platforms to watch more from KARE 11 anytime! The KARE 11+ app includes live streams of all of KARE 11's newscasts. You'll also find on-demand replays of newscasts; the latest from KARE 11 Investigates, Breaking the News and the Land of 10,000 Stories; exclusive programs like Verify and HeartThreads; and Minnesota sports talk from our partners at Locked On Minnesota.
- Add KARE 11+ on Roku here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Roku Channel Store.
- Add KARE 11+ on Fire TV here or by searching for KARE 11 in the Amazon App Store.
- Learn more about the KARE 11+ app for Apple TV in the Apple App Store.
- Learn more about KARE 11+ here.