Honestly, if you just glance at the back of a football card, the tj hockenson stats 2024 look kind of broken. Zero touchdowns? Only 455 yards? For a guy who signed a $66 million contract and was basically the engine of the Minnesota Vikings' passing game whenever Justin Jefferson took a breather, those numbers feel like a typo.
But football isn't played in a spreadsheet.
Context matters. Hockenson didn't even step onto a field until November. He spent the first half of the year in a grueling rehab cycle, working his way back from a devastating ACL and MCL tear he suffered on Christmas Eve the year prior. When he finally suited up for Week 9 against the Colts, he wasn't the same "Hock" we saw in 2023. Not yet, anyway.
The Reality of the TJ Hockenson Stats 2024 Season
When you dive into the actual game logs, you see a player who was essentially playing a "preseason" in the middle of a playoff hunt. He finished the regular season with 41 receptions on 62 targets. That’s a respectable catch rate, but the explosiveness just wasn't there consistently.
Think about it.
Coming off a multi-ligament knee injury, your first few games are about trusting the brace. It’s about not thinking when you plant that foot to make a snag over the middle. In his debut against Indianapolis, he only managed 27 yards. A week later in Jacksonville? He looked like his old self, hauling in 8 catches for 72 yards.
✨ Don't miss: Live Hockey Games Today: What Most People Get Wrong About the 2026 Schedule
Then came the outlier.
In Week 12 against the Chicago Bears, Hockenson absolutely exploded. He turned back the clock with 7 catches for 114 yards, averaging over 16 yards per reception. It was a reminder of why Minnesota traded for him. He was finding the soft spots in the zone and acting as the ultimate safety valve for Sam Darnold.
Why the Touchdown Column Remained Empty
The biggest shocker in the tj hockenson stats 2024 was the big fat "0" in the TD column. How does a 6'5" monster with elite hands fail to find the end zone in ten games?
Part of it was the emergence of Jordan Addison and Justin Jefferson's sheer gravity in the red zone. Another part was the Vikings' shift in offensive philosophy. With Aaron Jones in the backfield, Minnesota was much more comfortable pounding the rock near the goal line than they were in previous seasons.
- Total Targets: 62
- Total Receptions: 41
- Total Yards: 455
- Touchdowns: 0
- Average Yards Per Catch: 11.1
It’s worth noting that while he was blanked in the regular season, he did manage to snag a touchdown in the Wild Card round against the Rams. Stats-wise, it doesn't count for the "regular season" totals most people argue about, but it proved the red-zone chemistry was finally returning.
The "Rusty" Factor and Peripheral Metrics
If you're a film nerd, you noticed things the box score missed. Kevin O'Connell's offense relies on the tight end to be a versatile chess piece. In 2024, Hockenson was often asked to chip elite pass rushers before leaking out into routes.
Some analysts, like those on the Vikings Squad Show, pointed out that his speed off the line was noticeably slower during the first month of his return. He wasn't getting the same separation on "out" routes that he did during his Pro Bowl 2023 campaign.
By the time December rolled around, the metrics started to stabilize. His yards per route run (YPRR) began to climb back toward his career average of 1.5+. He finished the year with a PFF receiving grade in the low 60s, which is a far cry from his elite 80+ grades in years past, but understandable given the circumstances.
Fantasy Football Fallout
For those who drafted him in fantasy and stashed him on the IR, the 2024 season was a bit of a letdown. He averaged roughly 8.7 fantasy points per game in PPR formats. That made him a fringe TE1, but nowhere near the elite tier of Travis Kelce or George Kittle.
The lack of touchdowns was the killer. In fantasy, a tight end who doesn't score is just a glorified wide receiver with a lower ceiling.
Looking Toward 2025 and 2026
The narrative around Hockenson is already shifting. With J.J. McCarthy expected to take more snaps and the Vikings looking to maximize their expensive offensive weapons, 2024 is being viewed as a "bridge" year.
Most medical experts suggest that players don't truly regain their 100% "twitch" until the second year after an ACL surgery. If that holds true, the tj hockenson stats 2024 are just a baseline.
👉 See also: Who’s Playing NFL Football on Saturday: The Playoff Results and What’s Next
What should you do with this information?
If you're an analyst or a fan, don't write him off. The volume is still there. He was still seeing nearly 6 targets a game despite being the third option. That kind of floor is rare in the NFL.
Next Steps for Evaluation:
- Watch the Week 12 Bears tape to see what a "healthy" Hockenson looks like in this scheme.
- Monitor the Vikings' off-season moves; if they don't add a high-end WR3, Hockenson's target share will likely skyrocket back to 20%+.
- Compare his 2024 late-season speed data to his 2023 peaks to see if the "burst" has fully returned.
The 2024 season wasn't a failure for T.J. Hockenson. It was a recovery. And in a league that moves this fast, just getting back to the field and producing 450 yards in half a season is a feat in itself.