Ailments Run Rampant on Vikings Week 17 Injury Report
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings exited Week 16 with a litany of injuries that could impact the final two games of the season.
Of course, both T.J. Hockenson and D.J. Wonnum both suffered season-ending injuries this past weekend, but those are far from the only injuries that ran rampant on this roster heading into Week 17. The Vikings released their first injury report of the week on Wednesday, and a whopping 12 players appeared on the initial list.
Ailments Run Rampant on Vikings Week 17 Injury Report
Here is a look at the full Vikings injury report for Wednesday:
- WR Jordan Addison (Ankle, DNP)
- CB Mekhi Blackmon (Shoulder/Illness, DNP)
- DL Sheldon Day (Ankle, Limited)
- LB Troy Dye (Wrist, Limited)
- S Theo Jackson (Toe, DNP)
- RB Alexander Mattison (Ankle, Limited)
- CB Byron Murphy (Knee, DNP)
- WR Jalen Nailor (Concussion, DNP)
- RT Brian O’Neill (Ankle, Limited)
- LB Ivan Pace (Shoulder, Full)
- DL Harrison Phillips (Back, Limited)
- DL Jaquelin Roy (Ankle, DNP)
It must be noted that this initial injury report is simply an estimate seeing as the Vikings only conducted a walkthrough in Wednesday’s practice.
Most notable are the injuries to Minnesota’s secondary. The Vikings were without all of Mekhi Blackmon, Theo Jackson, and Byron Murphy on Wednesday. If Minnesota were to go into Sunday night’s game without these players, it could spell doom for the back end of their defense against a very talented Packers receiving group.
Additionally, the Vikings were without one of their own top receivers on Wednesday, rookie Jordan Addison. The 2023 first-round pick exited Sunday’s game with an ankle injury and was not estimated as able to practice this afternoon.
During Minnesota’s first meeting with the Packers, Addison put together a very strong game by totaling seven receptions for 82 yards and a touchdown. Second-year receiver Jalen Nailor was also absent on Wednesday because of a concussion.
On a positive note, Brian O’Neill was able to return to practice on Wednesday after missing the past two games because of his own ankle injury. In his stead, David Quessenberry has been making starts at the right tackle spot, but hopefully, this improvement indicates that O’Neill is ready to return to his usual spot.
Other notable injuries include Alexander Mattison and Harrison Phillips, who remained limited participants after playing through their injuries in Week 16. Meanwhile, rookie DL Jaquelin Roy was another player unable to participate because of an ankle injury.
The Vikings will release two more injury reports throughout the week on Thursday and Friday, which should give better indication as to how the injured players are recovering. Then, Minnesota will kick off a crucial divisional match against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, December 31st at 7:20 PM Central inside U.S. Bank Stadium.
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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.