The Minnesota Vikings have already announced that J.J. McCarthy is out in Week 17.
Now, with the release of the Vikings’ second projected injury report on a short week, it’s becoming clearer that they will be without more contributors.
Vikings Unlikely to Have T.J. Hockenson on Thursday
GettyT.J. Hockenson #87 of the Minnesota Vikings warms up prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 19, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
CBS Sports had a snippet on the possibility that Hockenson will not play on Thursday:
“Hockenson hasn’t logged any practice activity this week, so he’ll likely need to be listed as at least a limited participant in Wednesday’s session to have a shot at playing Thursday against the Lions.
If Hockenson is able to play through the shoulder issue, he’ll be working with undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer, who has been named the Vikings’ Week 17 starter with J.J. McCarthy (hand) ruled out.”
Kevin Seifert also shared a post on X about the situation around the Vikings’ starting tight end:
“Worth watching: T.J. Hockenson (shoulder) has been a DNP for two consecutive days on a (very) short week.”
Hockenson is trending to miss the rivalry matchup with the Lions, therefore, Josh Oliver seems likely to start the contest instead. Other active tight ends last week included Ben Sims and rookie UDFA Benjamin Yurosek.
Ben Sims logged 8 snaps against the Giants, and Yurosek logged 2. Rookie Gavin Bartholomew has also being listed as a projected full participant in practices the last two days.
Hockenson is having a bit of a down-year in 2025. He has 51 catches for 438 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Jordan Mason a “Long-shot” to Play on Christmas
GettyKevin Byard III #31 of the Chicago Bears makes a tackle on Jordan Mason #27 of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings look to have avoided a major injury to runningback Jordan Mason, who was carted off the field early in the game on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Though they avoided anything long-term, his availabilty for this Thursday is considered a “long-shot.” This is per Jeremy Fowler:
“While the Vikings are not ruling out RB Jordan Mason (ankle) for Thursday, he’s considered a longshot as of now, per source.”
Mason is the team’s leading rusher with 664 yards, while also contributing 6 touchdowns to the cause.
Unfortunate Timing for a Minnesota Team Without Their Starting QB
Getty(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings will be rolling out QB Max Brosmer on to the field on Thursday with the injury to starter J.J. McCarthy, meaning these injuries to top play makers are very poorly timed. You never want your top contributors to go down, however, the lack of help will be more obvious with a rookie UDFA having starting duties.
The Vikings will likely also be without starting center Ryan Kelly, who has suffered yet another concussion. He was listed as a projected non-participant on the Vikings’ injury reports on both Monday and Tuesday, as was Jordan Mason.
The Vikings will look to ruin the season of the Detroit Lions. It will unfortunately be a bit more difficult to do without this trio of contributors likely inactive.
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