Surprise Injury Hits Vikings Ahead of Week 2 Game
The Minnesota Vikings escaped Chicago’s Soldier Field with a victory, although it surely didn’t look like that would even be in the realm of possibility for three quarters. However, they also suffered some injury blows in the season opener.
Surprise Injury Hits Vikings Ahead of Week 2 Game
Safety Harrison Smith and offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw missed the contest. Neither is expected to be sidelined for too much longer, but it’s not surprising to see them listed on the injury report.
Blake Cashman and Jeff Okudah suffered reported injuries in the game, and so did Ryan Kelly, who didn’t miss a play, but the television crew mentioned it, and he missed practice with a toe injury. None of those three being listed is unexpected either.
But then there’s Andrew Van Ginkel, who is in concussion protocol and missed Wednesday’s practice. He didn’t seem to get hurt during the game and even gave interviews in the locker room following the triumph.
Kevin O’Connell revealed on Wednesday that he joined Okudah in concussion protocol. Okudah got hit on the final play of the game in a friendly fire action and stayed down for a while. Nothing like that was known about Van Ginkel.
NBC Sports’ Josh Alper noted Wednesday, “Head coach Kevin O’Connell said at his Wednesday press conference that linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and cornerback Jeff Okudah are both in the concussion protocol. Both players will have to pass through each stage of that protocol before they’ll be cleared to return, and they have a shorter window to do that for this week because the Vikings played on Monday night.”
He could still clear the protocol until Sunday, but most players miss the following game, and the Vikings have the added handicap of only having a six-day week. Still, everyone’s concussion journey is different, and it’s impossible to predict the exact timeline.
If Van Ginkel were indeed out for Sunday’s clash against the Falcons, the Vikings would turn to last year’s first-rounder, Dallas Turner. The sophomore was drafted with high expectations and has yet to come close to meeting them. Patience is needed for a guy who entered the league at the age of 21, and Week 1 was a solid outing for the athletic defender.
Pro Bowlers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel dominated the snaps on the edge, though, logging 62 and 61 of the 67 defensive snaps. Turner’s 29 were the third-most of his career, and 27 of them came on the edge.
Back to Van Ginkel, he was signed in free agency in 2024 and immediately became a superstar after reuniting with defensive coordinator Brian Flores. In year one back in the Midwest, the Iowa native scored 11.5 sacks, 79 tackles, and 18 tackles for loss.
Of course, he also scored a pair of touchdowns, making it his signature move to jump passes into the flat. In the first game of the year, he knocked down a pass from Caleb Williams that he couldn’t quite snag, but he still ruined the play.
In the past offseason, the Vikings secured the defender’s services for another season. He had been scheduled to hit free agency after the season, but earned a one-year contract extension worth $23 million, which will be added to the two-year contract he signed in 2024, with an average annual salary of $10 million. The initial deal was a bargain, and the extension was well deserved and might still be below market value.
Van Ginkel turned 30 in July.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.