Allen Park — The news keeps getting worse for the Detroit Lions.
On Thursday, ESPN reported that Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson is done for the season after undergoing thumb surgery.
Hockenson denied knowing the cause of his injury last week, noting only that his hand had suddenly swelled and nothing was broken. After being held out of last Sunday’s game against Denver, it was ultimately decided surgery was needed to correct the issue.
Prior to the injury, Hockenson was in the midst of another strong season, following up his Pro Bowl campaign from a year ago. Even after sitting out last week, he leads the team in receptions, targets, receiving yards and touchdowns.
Hockenson’s 61 receptions currently rank third among tight ends, behind only Kansas City’s Travis Kelce and Baltimore’s Mark Andrews.
With Hockenson out last week, the Lions turned to a pair of undrafted rookies, Brock Wright and Shane Zylstra, to handle the tight end responsibilities. The pair have combined for nine receptions for 80 yards this season.