Nov 12, 2023; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson (87) celebrates his touchdown against the New Orleans Saints in the second quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
NFL: New Orleans Saints at Minnesota Vikings
(Minneapolis, MN) – Over the past ten years or so, the NFL has become increasingly focused on concussions and taking steps aimed at reducing brain injuries among its players.
With that, hits to players head area have been strictly policed. The term “defenseless player” has come into the football lexicon, and major-wipeout-hits that once got a player featured in highlight packages are now considered illegal.
Some of that has been applauded by NFL players. But that crackdown may be coming at the expense of injuries to other body parts – like lower body injuries to knees, ankles, and hips. In other words, players have to make the tackle somewhere, and if it’s not high it will be low.
That trend arguably led to a season-ending injury for Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson, who took a hit to the knees in Week 16. He tore both his ACL and MCL, which required surgery and a lengthy rehab.
“It’s tough,” Hockenson explained on Monday. “It really is. We’re big guys running through the middle of the field. This is a business, and I don’t think anyone goes out on the field wanting to injure a player like that. So, I’m looking at the light of that and hoping that’s not what the intent was, to injure a player in that sense. But I think to have it happen a couple weeks later [with Higbie], I think that’s something the league needs to look and see what it can do.”
The end of Hockenson’s quote was referring to when Rams’ TE Tyler Higbie suffered a similar injury on a nearly identical hit – from the same player who injured Hockenson, Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph. The defensive back happens to be a former teammate of Hockenson’s.
The big TE elaborated further on the play he was injured on:
that“I know Kerby pretty well,” Hockenson said. I’ve played with him. I don’t necessarily think it was [intended to injure]. You go back on the tape and you see what happened. I know him. I don’t think it was. I just want to make sure it wasn’t and that’s why I’m using my voice here. Players protect players. That’s in any facet of the league. You don’t want a defensive guy head hunting or knee hunting, and the same thing for an offensive guy.”
Hokenson also made comments comparing the defensive side of the ball to players on the offensive line. If lineman are penalized and sometimes fined for “cut blocking” guys by taking them out at the knees – why aren’t similar considerations made when it comes to tackling?
“(A concussion) puts me out two weeks or three weeks,” Hockenson explains. “(But) This put me out nine months. I can’t even train. … I would have had a normal offseason getting ready for the season. I know some [concussions] are worse than others and I don’t want to go down that train of what’s worse and what’s better. But I’ve had a concussion. It took me a week. I’m just looking at it from that pure timetable.”
It’s just the latest concern for the NFL, as it looks to answer health issues while maintaining the game fans know and love. This offseason the league made changes to the kickoff rules, and banned the “hip drop” tackle in a bid to make games safer.
