Watch: Vikings TE T.J. Hockenson scores his first TD of the 2023 season

After he was acquired in a mid-season trade with the Detroit Lions in 2022, tight end T.J. Hockenson quickly emerged as a favorite target for Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins. This connection between Hockenson and Cousins has continued so far in 2023, including during the opening half of Thursday night's matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

On their third offensive drive of the evening, the Vikings took a 7-3 lead after Cousins was able to connect with Hockenson on a five-yard touchdown pass.

During the entire nine-play touchdown drive, Hockenson caught all three of his targets for 33 yards and the score. For Cousins, it was his third touchdown pass of the 2023 season.

Last week against the Bucs, Minnesota's veteran tight end was targeted nine times, and he finished with nine catches. However, he didn't find the end zone, and he only wound up with 35 receiving yards.

So just on the Vikings' first scoring drive on Thursday, Hockenson almost had more receiving yards than he had during the entire game against Tampa Bay.

Hockenson is likely going to become a fixture in Minnesota's offense for the next handful of seasons after he signed a lucrative, four-year extension worth $66 million last month.

The Vikings were clearly impressed with how well the tight end performed for them in 2022, and they believe he can help the team achieve their goals for this season and beyond.