2 Minnesota Vikings Land on IR
Monday’s season opener in Chicago ended with the correct result for the Minnesota Vikings, and the squad is 1-0 for the second consecutive season. There were some positive takeaways, like seeing J.J. McCarthy grow on live television, but the Vikings also left Chicago with various injury questions.
2 Minnesota Vikings Land on IR
Corner Jeff Okudah and pass rusher Andrew Van Ginkel are in concussion protocol, making their status for Week 2 iffy at best. Center Ryan Kelly didn’t practice on Wednesday due to a toe injury, but he didn’t miss a snap in the opener.
Blake Cashman and Ty Chandler are two other players who popped up on the injury report, and they won’t return anytime soon. On Thursday, the Vikings announced that they placed both on IR, ruling them out for the following four contests.
Let’s start with linebacker Cashman, whose presence in the middle of the field will be missed. Very few players are as complete as he is. He can rush the passer, drop into coverage, and stop the run. Cashman is a difference-maker in Brian Flores’ defense, and he’s also his coordinator on the field, wearing the green dot helmet and functioning as the mouthpiece between Flores and his teammates.
His obvious replacement is Eric Wilson, who was signed to make a difference on special teams (he already did with a blocked punt in Chicago) and to be the backup linebacker. Wilson played fairly well once Cashman had to exit the game, but playing a full-time role will certainly test him. He made five tackles (one tackle for loss) in his Vikings return.
The linebacker spent the first four seasons with the Mike Zimmer Vikings, earning a roster spot after going undrafted out of Cincinnati. Since his departure in the 2021 offseason, he has had stints with the Eagles, Texans, and the Packers. Wilson spent the last three seasons in Green Bay, appearing in 47 games. He also started 12 of them last year.
When Cashman was out, Wilson took over the green dot duties, surprisingly, considering Ivan Pace Jr. had done it before. He’s a veteran, though, with the experience of 126 career games, and has the football smarts to get his teammates lined up correctly.
Cashman missed three games last year, and the Vikings allowed 30 points in two of those games. Granted, they also couldn’t stop the Lions and Rams later in the season in the rematches when he did play. In the 14 games he played, Cashman logged 112 tackles and 4.5 sacks. His earliest possible chance to return will be in Week 7, after the Week 6 bye week.
The same can be said about runner Chandler. He suffered a knee injury, but didn’t leave the game and even returned the controversial kickoff the Bears should’ve just kicked out of bounds. He did not play a single rep on offense, but had 13 on special teams, including three kick returns for 84 yards.
Just like last year, following the Cam Akers trade, Chandler was the third back on the depth chart behind Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. He’ll be replaced by Zavier Scott, who logged a full practice. Scott missed the season opener with an ankle injury.
In the preseason, he took a ton of special teams reps, and he might function as one of the two returners, with Myles Price being the other. Preseason aside, Scott has yet to appear in an NFL game, but his debut could be nearing.
The Vikings have already filled the two open roster spots by promoting tight end Nick Vannett and wide receiver Tim Jones from the practice squad. Both are veteran depth players.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.