Vikings lose key player to ACL injury

The Minnesota Vikings have done their best to remain in the playoff hunt without Kirk Cousins, but they will now have to overcome yet another massive injury during the final two weeks of the season.

Vikings star tight end T.J. Hockenson left early in the team’s 30-24 loss to the Detroit Lions on Monday with a knee injury. The team announced on Tuesday that Hockenson suffered a torn ACL and MCL and will miss the remainder of the season.

Hockenson was having a career year with the Vikings. His 95 catches and 960 receiving yards lead the Vikings and are by far the best marks of his career. The 26-year-old was the focal point of Minnesota’s offense when Justin Jefferson was sidelined for several games with a hamstring injury.

The Vikings fell to 7-8 with their loss to Detroit. They head into Week 17 in 8th place in the NFC, so they are still very much a part of the postseason picture.

Minnesota will face the Green Bay Packers in Week 17 and the Lions again in Week 18. Their path to the playoffs just got even more difficult with the loss of Hockenson.