T.J. Hockenson clears concussion protocol and will play against the Colts

Minnesota Vikings tight end T.J. Hockenson has cleared the NFL's concussion protocol and carries no injury designation for Sunday's home game against the Indianapolis Colts. Alec Lewis of The Athletic shared the update Friday, and RotoBaller and Draft Sharks both list Hockenson as set to play.

Here is what is confirmed. Hockenson took the concussion early in Minnesota's Oct. 11 game at New Orleans, then had the Week 6 bye to recover. He was a full participant in practice on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday this week. The Vikings also listed Justin Jefferson (ankle), Jordan Addison (hamstring) and running back Jordan Mason (thumb) as full participants on Thursday.

That full receiving room is the catch for fantasy and dynasty purposes. Through five games Hockenson has 23 catches for 202 yards and one touchdown, per RotoBaller. The swings tell the story. He caught 13 passes for 119 yards against Miami in Week 4 with Jefferson sidelined, then had one catch for seven yards against the Saints once Jefferson was back. With Jefferson and Addison both practicing fully, Hockenson goes back to being the third option in the passing game more weeks than not.

Indianapolis will also be short at tight end. The Colts already ruled out Tyler Warren with a groin injury, his second straight missed game, so this is not a matchup where Minnesota has to account for a top pass-catching tight end on the other side.

For RSO owners, the contract read has not changed. Hockenson is a veteran on a sizable deal, and you are paying for a TE1 floor that he only reaches when targets free up. The concussion is now behind him, which removes the health discount, but it does not fix the volume question.

What to do now: if you held Hockenson through the bye, plug him back into your lineup as a mid-range TE1 in PPR formats and a borderline option in standard scoring. If you picked up a fill-in tight end, you can release them unless your league rewards depth at the position. Owners shopping a tight end before the trade deadline should not expect a discount now that he is cleared.

What to watch next: his snap share and route rate Sunday against the Colts, and whether Kevin O'Connell leans on two-tight-end sets with Addison back. A quiet first game back with all three receivers healthy would confirm the low-target pattern from Week 5.