2 Vikings Land on IR
Injuries have been the dominant storyline since day one of Minnesota Vikings training camp when Mekhi Blackmon suffered a torn ACL. The Vikings placed him on IR, ending his season. Of course, J.J. McCarthy followed with his torn meniscus, terminating his rookie campaign as well.
2 Vikings Land on IR
In addition to those major concerns, the Vikings have also dealt with various other issues. Three veterans, Dalton Risner, Robert Tonyan, and Shaq Griffin, missed the majority of camp with their own injuries.
On Wednesday, the front office waived the duo of NaJee Thompson and Jeremy Flax with an injury designation. Because they went unclaimed through the waiver process, they have returned to the Vikings and stashed on season-ending IR.
Flax joined the team after the draft. The offensive tackle out of Kentucky was pretty much buried on the depth chart, listed as the third-string left tackle behind starter Christian Darrisaw and sixth-round rookie Walter Rouse. He logged 16 snaps in the second preseason contest.
The massive human being (6-5 343 lbs) was likely to be waived on next week’s cutdown day but might have been a candidate for the practice squad. His season is over unless he can get healthy and reach an injury settlement with the organization.
Thompson had an excellent chance to be part of the 53-man roster, and he surely would’ve continued to be a star on special teams. Unfortunately, the Vikings must hand his duties to someone else.
The sophomore started camp on the PUP list with tight end T.J. Hockenson. A knee injury slowed him down. Missing the entire preseason and training camp had already put him behind the eight ball, but now he’s out for the season with his lingering knee problem.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell was asked on Thursday about how tough it was to waive the Georgia Southern alumnus.
Very. We wanted to give NaJee every possible chance to get himself to a place where we felt like he could go out there and do what he does, specifically in the kicking game phase and as a gunner. He did everything we asked of him, and as we were leading into hopefully seeing him this weekend, he dealt with some discomfort and swelling. A lot of dialogue with NaJee. He’s a very smart player, and I’ve enjoyed the heck out of building a relationship with him, but in the big picture of his career, let’s get this thing fixed and get you back on the right path. NaJee has got a lot of fans in this building.
Kevin O’Connell
The head coach clarified that he should’ve said getting healthy instead of “let’s get this thing fixed,” as he didn’t want to suggest that surgery would be necessary. However, he implied that there’s a decision to be made about that.
Thompson played in 15 games with the Vikings in his rookie season, making seven tackles and forcing a fumble. All but one of his 196 snaps came with the special teams. He excelled as a punt gunner and in kickoff coverage and might be one of the best in the league at that.
The Vikings surely want to get him back healthy next year. Thompson turned 24 in July.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt