Unnamed Illness Leaves Vikings Star Sidelined for 2nd Day
Josh Frey
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The unnamed illness that ravaged the Vikings practice on Wednesday continues to linger into Thursday’s injury report. Luckily, three players were able to return to practice of the five that sat out on Wednesday with the anonymous bug, but it has left a Vikings star sidelined for a second consecutive day. That is, of course, EDGE Danielle Hunter.
In all, the same nine players that were on Wednesday’s injury report showed back up on Thursday. Here’s the full list as Sunday’s game creeps closer:
- C Garrett Bradbury- Limited (back)
- DL Jonathn Bullard- DNP (bicep)
- LT Christian Darrisaw- Limited (concussion)
- FB C.J. Ham- DNP (illness)
- EDGE Danielle Hunter- DNP (illness)
- CB Theo Jackson- Full (illness)
- LB Eric Kendricks- Full (shoulder)
- CB Patrick Peterson- Full (illness)
- S Harrison Smith- Limited (illness)
In all, it should be taken as a positive that 1) no other Vikings have come down with whatever illness is going around, and 2) the majority of those who were sick on Wednesday were able to practice on Thursday. Prior to practice, defensive coordinator Ed Donatell suggested that everyone should be able to play on Sunday.
Other than C.J. Ham and Hunter missing practice with the illness, the only other DNP was defensive lineman Jonathan Bullard. Patrick Peterson and Theo Jackson were full participants on Thursday while Harrison Smith was limited, likely with some lingering symptoms.
On the other side of Sunday’s game, the Detroit Lions remain rather banged up with actual injuries, and they actually added three more players to Thursday’s injury report. After not appearing on Wednesday, CB Chase Lucas, DB Will Harris, and RB Jamaal Williams all showed up on Thursday’s list. Here’s the full list of Lions injuries:
- OT Kayode Awosika- DNP (ankle)
- OLB Derrick Barnes- DNP (knee)
- CB Chase Lucas- DNP (hamstring)
- CB Jeff Okudah- DNP (illness)
- WR Kalif Raymond- DNP (illness)
- QB Nate Sudfeld- DNP (illness)
- G Evan Brown- Limited (ankle)
- OT Taylor Decker- Limited (elbow)
- DB Will Harris- Limited (hip)
- C Frank Ragnow- Limited (foot)
- S DeShon Elliott- Full (ankle)
- RB D’Andre Swift- Full (ankle)
- RB Jamaal Williams- Full (hand)
While the list of injuries is long, there are some positives on Detroit’s side as well. First and foremost, the stars on the offensive side of the ball seem to be healing up. Running back D’Andre Swift was able to practice in full for the Lions on Thursday despite his ankle injury.
Additionally, the star offensive linemen, LT Taylor Decker and C Frank Ragnow, were both upgraded to limited participants on Thursday after sitting out Wednesday’s session.
The Lions did not see the same luck with their players that have fallen ill, though. Unlike the Vikings, all three players that sat out Wednesday with illnesses also sat out Thursday. Those players are CB Jeff Okudah, WR Kalif Raymond, and QB Nate Sudfeld.
Of course, Sudfeld is unlikely to see any time on the field this weekend being the Lions backup QB, but both Okudah and Raymond are skill position players that may prove vital pieces for Detroit’s success. We’ll see if Friday’s injury report changes anything for the stars on either side.
Kickoff between the Lions and Vikings is scheduled for 12 PM CST at Ford Field on Sunday, December 11th.
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.