There was a lot of speculation about Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson holding in during training camp. Those were confirmed by NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Diana Russini.
It was really strange what happened at the beginning of training camp with Hockenson. He was warming up with the team and even running routes on the side during the first night practice on August 3rd. This is what we wrote about it after the first night practice.
Buy Vikings TicketsDuring both individual and team drills, tight end T.J. Hockenson was not participating. Instead, he was working on routes with an assistant coach off to the side. He didn’t seem to be injured and it was very peculiar. My initial thoughts are that he might be doing a similar “hold in” to what Hunter was doing, except just not participating in team drills. That is all speculation at this point, but it’s worth noting.
That was when we started to hear from the team. First, it was an ear infection that was impacting his balance. Then, he had a stiff back that was preventing him from practicing.
This tweet from Schefter says it all.
T.J. Hockenson’s ear infection and back pain — which limited his practice time this summer — feel much better today. https://t.co/C2pM2lI6Ab
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 31, 2023
The Vikings found a way to solve both of their holdings before the beginning of the season.