Vikings Fans Breathe a Sigh of Relief as Injured Players Return to Practice on Monday
The Minnesota Vikings have gotten rather banged up over the past few weeks, with multiple players going down with injuries.
However, following a walk-through practice on Monday, many Vikings fans breathed a sigh of relief as we found out that a number of the injured Vikings were able to return to the field. Here’s a look at some of the players who came back to begin the week.
WR Jordan Addison
Rookie wide receiver Jordan Addison did not suit up for Wednesday’s joint practice against the Tennessee Titans, and following the practice, it was revealed that the first-round pick was in concussion protocol and would miss that weekend’s preseason matchup against the Tennessee Titans.
However, Kevin O’Connell expressed that Addison’s symptoms were “minor,” and that the hope was for Minnesota’s new receiver to be back at practice on Monday. Those hopes proved to be correct as he returned to the field to start the week. Alec Lewis of The Athletic reported his return via Twitter (or X, whatever you’d like to call it these days).
Addison is expected to play a big role in Minnesota’s offense this year with the hope being that he can replace Adam Thielen’s production from 2022 if not surpass it. It’s great to see him back on the field, and hopefully, he can stay healthy for the rest of the year.
WR Jalen Nailor
Jalen Nailor has been an offseason darling in Minnesota, and many have hoped that he will take on the team’s WR4 role this year, essentially becoming a deep threat to complement the route-running skills of Justin Jefferson, Addison, and K.J. Osborn.
However, he has been out of practice since the first day of camp which put a bit of a damper on those hopes and may have prompted the signing of N’Keal Harry to add another body at the position. However, he also returned to practice this week, giving the Vikings a full room at WR for their final week of joint practices and preseason against the Arizona Cardinals. Again, it was Lewis giving the scoop on Twitter.
LB Brian Asamoah
During this training camp period, all eyes have been on UDFA Ivan Pace, who has skyrocketed up the Vikings LB depth chart. A main reason for this rise has been the absence of Brian Asamoah, which has opened up first-team reps for the undrafted rookie.
However, it appears that Asamoah is back to full health as well, and he was another player to return to the field on Monday. A 2022 third-round pick, the linebacker got limited reps with the defense during 2022, but down the stretch of the season, he quickly showcased some much-needed speed and aggressiveness at the position.
Assuming he is able to remain healthy, Asamoah should be able to claim a starting spot on the defense in 2023, and it creates a three-headed dragon at the position with himself, Pace, and Jordan Hicks.
Kene Nwangwu, Chris Reed Remain Sidelined
With every day that Kene Nwangwu sits out, it becomes more worrisome that his injury may be more serious than initially believed. The Vikings have even added another kick return specialist at the running back position in Aaron Dykes, and the experiment seems to be a success to this point.
As for Chris Reed, he has been on the NFI list ever since training camp began, and his own roster spot could be in jeopardy, especially with Blake Brandel switching over to the guard spot. We also have to take into account that Dalton Risner remains a free agent option, and if things don’t progress soon for Reed, we may need to have that free agency conversation again soon.
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.