Likely Vikings Starter Returns to Practice
Injuries have been a problem for the Minnesota Vikings. In training camp, devastating injury news hit the franchise, headlined by J.J. McCarthy and Mekhi Blackmon. The two promising young players suffered knee injuries, both requiring season-ending surgery. They have been placed on IR. Besides those major bummers, various minor issues have created problems, too.
Likely Vikings Starter Returns to Practice
Blackmon wasn’t the only absent cornerback. The good news is that previously injured defender Shaq Griffin returned to practice on Monday. He suffered a hamstring strain in the first week of training camp and had been sidelined since.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted: “Vikings CB Shaq Griffin (hamstring) was back at practice today. He said he’s easing back and should be full go next week.”
Griffin’s return is certainly vital with less than three weeks remaining before the Week 1 contest, a road game versus the New York Giants. He joined the Vikings in March, signing a deal worth $4.55 million, with most of it guaranteed.
The veteran was a 2017 third-rounder out of UCF. He spent the four seasons of his career in Seattle as a late-acquisition to Pete Carroll’s legion of boom. Griffin played 57 games in those four campaigns, including 53 starts, snatching six interceptions. He was voted to the Pro Bowl in 2019.
When his rookie deal expired in 2021, he was a coveted free agent, signing a three-year, $40 million contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Injuries limited him to 14 games in his first year and only five games in year two in Florida, so the AFC South franchise released him last offseason. Griffin then joined the Houston Texans, where he started six of the ten games in which he appeared.
For some reason, the Texans decided to release him despite him playing well in DeMeco Ryans’ defense. He then played three games with the Panthers.
The veteran is penciled in as a starter, taking over the role from Akayleb Evans, who had an up-and-down sophomore season in 2023. His presence allows Byron Murphy Jr. to slide into the slot in nickel packages, especially after the Vikes signed Stephon Gilmore last weekend.
That plan was visible from the get-go. Andrew Krammer from the Star Tribune reported on Monday: “CB Stephon Gilmore, in No. 23, already getting first-team reps at left corner when Byron Murphy moves into the slot. CB Shaq Griffin (hamstring) returned at right corner.”
Head coach Kevin O’Connell said a couple of weeks after Griffin’s signing: “He’s a guy that we’ve had our eye on for a while. I think Shaq fits the mold of what we were looking to add to the room this offseason. A veteran corner that’s got some length, got some physicality, can play at the line of scrimmage. Really, we want to get to a place where we can play more man coverage, pair our pressures with some man coverage on the backside.”
Behind starters Gilmore, Griffin, and Murphy, the Vikings have a competition for the remaining roster spots. Evans and rookie Dwight McGlothern are listed with the second team on the team’s depth chart. Veteran Fabian Moreau is listed as a third-stringer and could also play a role after starting last year for the Denver Broncos.
The Vikings hope to get a healthy Griffin, although that has obviously not worked so far. Having the prime version of Griffin would be a huge boost, but it remains to be seen whether he can return to his best form at the age of 29.
Editor’s Note: Information from Over The Cap 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