Injured Sophomore Viking Has Already Returned
With training camp underway, the Vikings still await T.J. Hockenson’s return from his severe knee injury. His absence will continue, perhaps into the regular season. Defender Andrew Van Ginkel will work his way back during the ramp-up period. In addition to those two starters, depth player DeWayne McBride and special teamer NaJee Thompson had drawn injury designations on Monday.
Injured Sophomore Viking Has Already Returned
Head coach Kevin O’Connell talked to the media on Wednesday, the first day of training camp practices, with media availability. He vaguely updated Thompson’s status, who is dealing with a left knee injury and begins camp on the PUP list.
O’Connell shared good news on the McBride front, however.
The second-year player has already returned to the practice field and cleared the NFI list. Players land on the Non-Football-Injury list when they suffer an injury out of team control, for example, during a private workout away from the facility.
McBride’s return is good news for him and the Vikings. After Cam Akers headed south to join the Houston Texans instead of the Vikings (the circumstances are still mysterious), the franchise started training camp with only five running backs. Besides McBride, the team employs Aaron Jones and Ty Chandler, who should form the top duo, as well as last year’s practice squad player Myles Gaskin and kick returner Kene Nwangwu.
Behind the top duo, there’s one available spot, and McBride could be the main beneficiary of Akers’ departure. He was a star runner at UAB, registering over 3,000 rushing yards and 32 rushing touchdowns in his final two collegiate seasons. Granted, those numbers were collected in the Conference America, facing primarily lower-level opponents.
Still, not everyone can rack up that kind of statistics, regardless of opposition. He had many fans last year entering training camp to make some noise, but he lost the backup job to Chandler, and the seventh-rounder failed to make any lasting impressions in training camp.
It wasn’t surprising when the Vikings kept him off the 53-man roster, but he was stashed on the practice squad. The next concern was that he couldn’t draw a call-up all season despite the horrible rushing attack, and even after Akers’ season-ending injury, the Vikings relied on other players.
Once again, it is his goal to make the roster as the RB3, and it is fairly easy to achieve. Gaskin rushed ten times with the Dolphins in 2022 and didn’t log any carries in 2023 with the Vikings and during a quick stint with the Rams. Nwangwu, meanwhile, hasn’t shown much promise on offense, although he is a wonderful kick returner.
McBride’s first step to separate himself was getting healthy, and he now has roughly five weeks to do enough for a nomination to the 53-man roster. His first game action is scheduled on August 10 when the Vikings host the Las Vegas Raiders in their first preseason contest.
The acquisition of an external player to increase the depth can’t be ruled out.
McBride just turned 23.
Editor’s Note: Information from Sports Reference CFB helped with this article.
Vikings Fans Experience a Delightful Tuesday
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