A source said Saturday night that running back Aaron Jones is expected to be ready after suffering a hamstring injury two weeks ago in London.
The Lions got to Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) on Christmas Eve 2023. They won’t get a shot at him on Sunday. (Jerry Holt/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
The Vikings will wait at least one more game before T.J. Hockenson makes his return to their lineup. If they’re thinking about playing Dalton Risner on their offensive line, that move will remain on hold, too.
The team downgraded both Hockenson and Risner to out, deciding not to make a roster move to put either one back on the active roster in time for Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions. Hockenson will remain on injured reserve for at least one more game, so the Vikings signed tight end Robert Tonyan to the active roster from their practice squad and waived receiver Trishton Jackson to make room for Tonyan.
Both Hockenson and Risner were limited participants in all three practices this week, as they remain in their 21-day windows to practice with the team before the Vikings have to activate them from injured reserve or rule them out for the season. Hockenson, who suffered a torn right ACL on a hit from the Lions’ Kerby Joseph last Dec. 24, said this week he’s feeling stronger and running faster than he did last season. But it seemed unlikely the Vikings would bring him back to face the same team against which he was injured, especially when this was his first full week of practice since his knee surgery in January.
Risner said this week he’s been ready to return from his back injury, and coach Kevin O’Connell left open the possibility that the Vikings could put him on the field against the Lions. “That’s part of the conversation because we would have to make a roster move to make that happen,” he said Friday. “We’ll work through that today.”
But with Risner remaining on injured reserve, Ed Ingram figures to stay at his right guard spot against the Lions. The Vikings will consider the statuses of Risner and Hockenson again in just four days, before they travel to Los Angeles for a Thursday night game against the Rams.
And though running back Aaron Jones remains questionable for the game with a right hamstring injury, a source with knowledge of the situation said late Saturday night that Jones is expected to play.
Jones was a limited participant in practice on Thursday and Friday, leaving the Vikings more optimistic he could return from his injury in time for the Lions game. Unless he wakes up Sunday feeling any issues with his hamstring, he’s likely to play.
The team elevated outside linebacker Bo Richter and defensive lineman Jalen Redmond from the practice squad for Sunday’s game.