Injury Report Week 7 ‒ Lions at Vikings
The Vikings went into London with an almost healthy roster. Two weeks later, they come off the bye week with an injury report full of names. The Vikings could see themselves without a few key contributors in a pivotal game against the division rival and current NFC runner-up. The Detroit Lions are relatively healthy but could be down two crucial players.
Detroit Lions Injuries
The Lions only had five players dealing with injuries this week, which is a low number. Rookie OG Christian Mahogany trained in full capacity but is still recovering from mono and is the only player out for the game.
Their biggest injury, however, was to Aidan Hutchinson. The young pass-rusher broke his tibia against the Cowboys, already had surgery, and is out for the season.
Safety Brian Branch was limited on Wednesday with a knee injury but practiced without limitation on Thursday and Friday. The same is true for OT Dan Skipper, who didn’t practice on Wednesday but returned later. Center Frank Ragnow only appeared on the injury report because of a rest day. All three are without an injury designation and are good to go.
However, their two questionable players would have a big impact if they can’t be on the field on Sunday. CB Carlton Davis was a full participant on Friday but it was his only practice this week while dealing with a quad injury, and OG Kevin Zeitler, who is dealing with a groin injury, didn’t practice on Wednesday and Friday, being limited on Thursday. Between the two, Davis has the better chance of playing, with Zeitler being a longshot.
Minnesota Vikings Injuries
As I said, the Vikings aren’t healthy at all for this game. LB Blake Cashman suffered a turf toe against the Jets and is out. HC Kevin O’Connell said he would be “day-to-day, week-to-week.” This means he’s unlikely to play against the Rams next Thursday, but this is a topic for next week. CB Akayleb Evans is also out because of a hip injury.
Five players were listed as questionable for the game. TE T.J. Hockenson and OG Dalton Risner had their practice window opened to return from PUP/IR and were limited the whole week. They have both been ruled out on Saturday, but a comeback on Thursday is an option.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, RB Aaron Jones is expected to play this week. The running back suffered a quad/hamstring injury before the game against the Jets and tried to tough it out. Kevin O’Connell said he had a good week of practice (limited on Thursday and Friday, didn’t practice Wednesday, but the team had an extra non-padded practice on Monday) and he will probably be a game-time decision. Even if he plays, O’Connell is likely to monitor Jones’s snap count to avoid aggravating the injury.
DT Harrison Phillips and OLB Patrick Jones, both dealing with shoulder injuries, missed Wednesday’s practice, were limited on Thursday, and full participants on Friday. They are questionable for the game, but the head coach didn’t talk a lot about their injuries, so they should be good to go.
Safety Theo Jackson (hand) and TE Josh Oliver (wrist) appeared on the report but were full participants the entire week. Important to note that Oliver has been dealing with this injury since the week leading to the matchup against the Packers on Week 4.
As usual, veterans Harrison Smith and Stephon Gilmore had rest days on Friday. They are healthy, but for this reason, they appear on the injury report nonetheless.
Cashman out means that Ivan Pace will take over green dot duties, and Kamu Grugier-Hill will be the LB2. The Vikings recently traded for RB Cam Akers to solidify their depth in the backfield. O’Connell said this had nothing to do with Aaron Jones’s injury, but Akers should see some snaps on Sunday even if Jones is active. Patrick Jones is having his best start to a season in his career, but as a rotational player, he is a little easier to replace. If Phillips is out, the middle of the defensive line will be compromised against the best running back duo in the league.
