Ex-Viking Lands on IR in 5th Consecutive Season
Training camp and preseason injuries have returned. They are an annual lousy ingredient in the NFL meal.
The Vikings have had their fair share, with Mekhi Blackmon suffering a torn ACL, ruling him out for his sophomore campaign. Fellow defender Shaquill Griffin has also missed time, just like Lewis Cine, who desperately needs the reps to make his case for a roster spot.
Ex-Viking Lands on IR in 5th Consecutive Season
An ex-Viking has now been downgraded, too. Pat Elflein, former center and guard in the Twin Cities, was placed on IR by the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, just days after joining the club.
The team announced on Monday: “The San Francisco 49ers today announced they have signed OL Lewis Kidd to a one-year deal. In order to make room on the roster, the team placed OL Pat Elflein on the Injured Reserve List.”
He officially signed with the 49ers on Friday and got hurt minutes into his first practice. The Athletic’s David Lombardi tweeted: “SF has signed offensive tackle Lewis Kidd, who’s been with the Saints and Colts. He takes the spot of Pat Elflein, who went on IR after hurting his calf just minutes into his first practice with the team.”
That is a tough blow to Elflein as his season is over. He can’t play for the 49ers this year because they have placed him on IR in the preseason.
However, depending on the severity of his injury, the two parties ‒ the San Francisco 49ers and Elflein ‒ could negotiate an injury settlement. He would then be a free agent again but could sign with a new team once he’s healthy. At this point, the timeframe of his recovery is unknown.
Another sad aspect is that Elflein’s 2023 campaign ended almost similarly, with the Cardinals placing him on IR in August. In 2022, he was Carolina’s starting center for six games until a hip injury landed him on injured reserve. A hamstring injury (of course, with another stint on IR) cost him a few weeks in 2021.
His injury troubles began in the final game of his rookie season when he fractured his foot in the NFC Championship game against the Eagles. He had to undergo surgery on his foot and shoulder in the offseason and missed the first three contests. In 2020, he started the season as Minnesota’s right guard, but a thumb injury led to his first stint on IR. Once he was ready to return, the Vikings released him.
Elflein has been on IR in five consecutive seasons.
The interior offensive lineman has played in 65 career games (64 starts) for three teams (Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets, and Carolina Panthers). The last time he logged double-digit games in a season was in 2019. Former GM Rick Spielman spent a third-rounder to bring the Ohio State standout to Minnesota, where he would play 44 games.
Elflein is 30 years old, and the fact that he can’t stay healthy doesn’t bode well for future opportunities.
Editor’s Note: Information from 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