A Full Timeline of the 2023 Vikings’ Injury Woes
Josh Frey
|
2023 has been a cruel year for the Minnesota Vikings, particularly in the injury department.
As the year comes to a close, I figured it would be a good time to put together a full timeline of the major injuries that Minnesota has been forced to navigate throughout 2023. Take a look at the injuries down below, and if you feel that anything has been negated, feel free to shoot me a note on Twitter.
End of 2022-23 Season
January 1st: Brian O’Neill Partially Tears Achilles, Austin Schlottmann Breaks Leg
2023 got off to a bad start for the Vikings in Week 17 of last season, Minnesota lost two offensive linemen against the Green Bay Packers. Brian O’Neill suffered a partially torn Achilles while Austin Schlottmann broke his leg.
Neither player was able to suit up for the final week of the regular season or the Wild Card round of the playoffs. There were obviously many reasons why the Vikings lost to the Giants in that playoff game, but we have to wonder if things may have gone a little differently if Minnesota’s o-line was healthy.
Preseason/Training Camp
August 4th: James Lynch Tears ACL
As training camp began to heat up this summer, the Vikings saw their first major injury of the 2023 season. James Lynch tore his ACL, and as a result, has missed the entire season. Lynch had been a rotational defensive piece for much of his career in Minnesota, and now, he enters free agency hoping to be healthy in time to help a team in 2024.
September
September 8th: Marcus Davenport First Appears on Injury Report
Ahead of Minnesota’s Week 1 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, new free agent acquisition Marcus Davenport made his first appearance on Minnesota’s injury report with an ankle injury and would not play in the game. It truly was sign of things to come before the season even started.
September 10th: Garrett Bradbury Leaves with Back Injury
After a back injury hampered Garrett Bradbury down the stretch of the 2022 season, the Vikings center hurt his back in the very first game of the 2023 regular season. Bradbury played just seven snaps before the injury, and he would miss three games before returning in Week 5 against the Chiefs.
September 14th: Oli Udoh Tears Quad; Darrisaw, Davenport Aggravate Ankle Injuries
In Week 2, both Davenport and Christian Darrisaw headed into Minnesota’s Thursday night matchup with the Eagles as questionable. However, both players aggravated their injuries in warmups, and Darrisaw was forced to sit out of the game while Davenport made it just a few snaps before leaving.
Meanwhile, Darrisaw’s replacement at left tackle, Oli Udoh, suffered a torn quad down the stretch of the game and was later placed on IR where he has been for the entire season.
September 21st: Jalen Nailor Heads to IR
The injuries to Vikings pass-catchers began early on in the season as Jalen Nailor was placed on IR ahead of Minnesota’s Week 3 game against the Los Angeles Chargers because of a hamstring injury. The injury originally came to light a day before when Nailor was listed on September 20th’s injury report but as a limited participant. He would go on to miss seven games.
October
October 4th: Nick Mullens Appears on Injury Report with Back Injury
Nick Mullens first popped up on the Vikings injury report heading into Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and he would eventually would be ruled out with his back injury. This put Jaren Hall in line for the backup spot and paved the way for Minnesota’s QB uncertainty later in the season.
October 8th: Justin Jefferson Injures Hamstring
Justin Jefferson’s hamstring injury came in Week 5 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and he would be forced to miss much of the fourth quarter of that game. The Vikings would eventually lose the game and fall to 1-4.
October 11th: Justin Jefferson, Nick Mullens Placed on IR
Just a couple days after Minnesota’s fourth loss of the season, the Vikings made the decision to place Justin Jefferson and Nick Mullens on IR. Jefferson would miss seven games with the injury while Nick Mullens’ absence would eventually lead to the decision to trade for Josh Dobbs.
October 15th: Marcus Davenport Re-Injures Ankle
During Minnesota’s Week 6 game against the Chicago Bears, Marcus Davenport injured his ankle yet again after coming into the weekend having recorded sacks in back-to-back weeks.
October 18th: Marcus Davenport Placed on IR
Days after suffering his injury, Davenport would be placed on IR where he has remained ever since. Now, his future with the Vikings is up in the air as he is slated to be a free agent at the end of the season and has only appeared in four games this season.
October 20th: Ezra Cleveland Ruled Out with Foot Injury
The Vikings had enjoyed a wholly healthy offensive line for much of the first six weeks of the season, but that changed heading into Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers. Ezra Cleveland would be ruled out with a foot injury ahead of the game, and just 11 days later, he was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars after Dalton Risner took over the starting LG job.
October 29th: Kirk Cousins Tears Achilles
Just as the Vikings had begun to find their groove on the offensive side of the ball, they lost their starting QB for the season. Minnesota was cruising to a victory in Week 8 against the Green Bay Packers, but Kirk Cousins suffered a torn Achilles, thus beginning Minnesota’s two-month QB carousel.
November
November 5th: Cam Akers Tears Achilles; Jaren Hall, K.J. Osborn Suffer Concussions
When it became clear early in the season that the Vikings needed extra depth at the running back position, Minnesota made a trade to acquire Cam Akers from the Los Angeles Rams. He provided help for six games before suffering a torn Achilles in Week 9 against the Falcons.
Meanwhile, both Jaren Hall and K.J. Osborn suffered concussions during the game, forcing brand new QB Josh Dobbs into a very tough spot. Still, the journeyman led Minnesota to a victory.
November 12th: Jordan Hicks Suffers Leg Contusion
While injuries had piled up on the offensive side of the ball in consecutive weeks, Week 10 brought another severe injury to the defense. Jordan Hicks left Minnesota’s game against the Saints with a leg contusion and was taken to a local hospital to get a procedure done on the leg. He was placed on IR a couple days later.
November 20th: Dean Lowry Placed on IR
Dean Lowry headed to IR following Minnesota’s Week 11 loss to the Denver Broncos because of a torn pectoral muscle. Lowry had been a rotational piece on the defense all season, playing 237 snaps and making four starts.
November 27th: Akayleb Evans Out with Calf Injury
Heading into Minnesota’s final game before their bye week, the Vikings still couldn’t avoid injuries. Starting CB Akayleb Evans would be ruled out ahead of Minnesota’s Week 12 game against the Chicago Bears, which would turn into a 12-10 loss.
December
December 10th: Brian O’Neill, Alexander Mattison Injure Ankles
In Minnesota’s first game following their bye week, injuries struck the team again. Brian O’Neill would leave the game because of an ankle injury, and he has now missed two consecutive games because of the ailment.
Meanwhile, Alexander Mattison suffered his own ankle injury that then held him out of Minnesota’s Week 15 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
December 22nd: Byron Murphy Ruled Out with Hamstring Injury
Ahead of the Christmas Eve game against the Detroit Lions, the Vikings would rule out Byron Murphy with a hamstring injury. Minnesota’s secondary was overwhelmed at times by the Lions’ passing attack, and Minnesota fell to their division rivals in Week 16.
December 24th: T.J. Hockenson, D.J. Wonnum Suffer Season-Ending Injuries
And finally, Minnesota saw more injuries during their Week 16 game against the Lions. T.J. Hockenson would exit the game with a torn ACL and torn MCL, which not only knocks him out for the remainder of this season, but could put his status for the beginning of the 2024 season into question.
Meanwhile, D.J. Wonnum left with a partially torn quad, which ended his year as well. Wonnum is now set to enter free agency in the spring and may have played his final game with the Vikings.
The rotten cherry on top is that Jordan Addison and Mekhi Blackmon were also forced out of the Detroit game, but their injuries appear less serious. Each has a shot to return in the final two games, though, and hopefully the Vikings are able to finish out the year without any further injuries when they take on the Packers this Sunday.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.