Vikings' T.J. Hockenson Won't Play vs. Lions amid Knee Injury Recovery; Eyes Week 8

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson won't make his season debut in Week 7 against the Detroit Lions as he continues to recover from a knee injury.

Per ESPN's Kevin Seifert, Hockenson "passed every test by a mile" from a medical standpoint and his knee is healed, but he still needs time to acclimate. Seifert noted that Hockenson has "no predictions" on when he'll return, but is likely to do so within the next two weeks.

"I was wanting him to come back this week, but sadly he has to get that preparation of being in front of people and running routes on people," wide receiver Justin Jefferson said, per Seifert. "But we'll have him soon, so I'm definitely looking forward to it."

Hockenson had the best season of his career a year ago, racking up 960 receiving yards and five touchdowns. His outstanding season ended prematurely in Week 16 when he suffered a torn ACL and MCL against the Lions.

He started the season on the physically unable to perform list, which ensured he'd miss at least the first four games of the season. The Vikings opened his practice window at the beginning of October.

"He's done a great job," head coach Kevin O'Connell said after activating him, per Seifert. "He feels great, but we've got to get him acclimated back to football."

While he won't be on the field against his former team this week, it seems his season debut is just around the corner.

Even without one of their best offensive pieces, the Vikings have had a tremendous 5-0 start to the season that includes wins over the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers.

Quarterback Sam Darnold has emerged as a surprising MVP candidate behind his 1,111 passing yards and 11 touchdowns through the first five games. Jefferson has been his usual self with 450 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Minnesota will have one of its biggest tests on Sunday when it faces the 4-1 Lions.