Dalvin Tomlinson Unlikely to Play vs. Commanders

Josh Frey |

Nov 3, 2022

The Vikings Seem Likely to Lose 2 Veteran Defenders in Free Agency

Oct 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (94) during the NFL International Series game at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-USA TODAY Sports.

The Minnesota Vikings have a longer injury report to start the week than we’ve become accustomed to in 2022. The most notable player on the list is defensive lineman Dalvin Tomlinson. He suffered a calf injury during the Vikings win over the Cardinals on Sunday, and on Wednesday, he missed practice due to the injury.

Now, it appears that Dalvin Tomlinson is unlikely to play against the Washington Commanders this week. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said earlier in the week that the injury is considered to be “week-to-week”, and they aren’t trying to rush him back too early.

This cautious approach makes sense. The Vikings are 6-1 with a 3.5-game lead in the NFC North that technically rises to 4.5 games with the current tiebreakers. Of course, Minnesota cannot get complacent at this point in the season, but it also makes very little sense to risk worsening an injury that could be a factor later on in the year.

Doesn’t sound like Dalvin Tomlinson is likely to play on Sunday. KOC says again that it’s week to week and they don’t want to push him too quickly. Best case would be he makes the trip and is a game time decision.
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) November 2, 2022

Additionally, the Vikings have proven to have strong depth along their defensive front. In Minnesota’s last two games, they’ve played against the Dolphins without DJ Wonnum, and they’ve played against the Cardinals without Jonathan Bullard. Neither of these players carry the same impact for the Vikings defense as Tomlinson, but they’ve both had strong moments throughout the year.

Defensive coordinator Ed Donatell didn’t express much concern over the injury, expressing faith that the Vikings have players to fill in. He named James Lynch and Ross Blacklock as potential fill-in starters if need be.

#Vikings defensive coordinator Ed Donatell on if Dalvin Tomlinson can't play Sunday at Washington said several players will fill in for him since the team always rotates D-linemen. He's not that concerned about who might start. Candidates include James Lynch and Ross Blacklock.
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) November 3, 2022

To this point in his NFL career, Tomlinson has been a true ironman. The 28-year-old has not missed a game due to injury. He’s played in 87 of a possible 88 games, with the only absence coming in Week 12 of the 2021 season due to being on the COVID list. It seems safe to say that Tomlinson has earned a week off if he needs one.

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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, playing video games, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.