Latest Vikings move raises at least one concern about offense’s health

The strength of the Minnesota Vikings team is undoubtedly its offense. The quarterback is a bit of a question mark with one of Sam Darnold or J.J. McCarthy set to take over for Kirk Cousins under center, but there are weapons all over the field for whoever their quarterback is to play with.

Aaron Jones is manning the backfield, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are two terrific wide receivers, and they're even set at the tight end spot with T.J. Hockenson. Or so we thought.

Hockenson's 2023 season ended prematurely as he tore his ACL in Week 16. There is currently no timetable for his return.

Uncertainty with Hockenson is likely what led the Vikings to sign Robert Tonyan to a contract according to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler. Depth is never a bad thing, but the fact that they signed Tonyan raises some concerns with Hockenson.

Latest Vikings move raises concern about T.J. Hockenson's health

Hockenson tore his ACL in late December of last season. Recoveries from these major leg injuries have seemingly been quicker than ever, but torn ACLs are no joke. Hockenson's status for Week 1 should be in question at the very least, and with this signing, there might be a smaller chance of him being ready to open the season than we had initially expected.

When it comes to tight end depth, Tonyan isn't a bad option. He has spent his entire six-year career in the NFC North and even had a couple of nice years with Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers.

He spent last season with the Chicago Bears but despite appearing in all 17 games, he didn't do much. He recorded just 11 receptions for 112 yards and did not score a touchdown. He played just 28% of the offensive snaps.

Even if Hockenson is hurt, Tonyan would likely play just a small role in Minnesota's offense. There are plenty of mouths to feed in that offense, and it's possible that Josh Oliver, a player who was with the Vikings last season, will be ahead of Hockenson on their depth chart.

Hopefully Hockenson doesn't miss too much time as when healthy, he's one of the premier tight ends in the game.