Vikings Injury Report Is a Mixed Bag
On Monday, the Minnesota Vikings will face the Chicago Bears to cap off the NFL’s Week 1 slate of games. It’ll be the first of six annual division games, and it’s crucial to get off to a hot start to replicate last year’s success.
Vikings Injury Report Is a Mixed Bag
On Thursday, the Vikings were required for the first time this year to publish an injury report. That anticipated piece is a mixed bag for the Vikings, as some players who had some concerns surrounding them practiced, but others did not.
The Good
Jalen Nailor and Andrew Van Ginkel were both listed as full participants and should be expected to play in Monday’s season opener.
Nailor jammed his hand during joint practices with the New England Patriots last month and had to undergo a minor procedure. He’ll share the WR2 and WR3 work with Adam Thielen next to Justin Jefferson, who’s obviously the clear top target.
Van Ginkel had missed the last few weeks due to a neck injury. Jonathan Greenard’s wingman is good to go.
More good news is Justin Jefferson’s absence from the report. He missed most of August with a “mild hamstring strain” and has been working his way back. Jefferson is a crucial element in J.J. McCarthy’s debut.
Other players, such as Will Fries, Jonathan Allen, and Javon Hargrave, who all missed the majority of last season due to injuries, should all be ready for Monday, if any doubt remained entering the week.
The Bad
On the other hand, we have Christian Darrisaw missing practice altogether. Now, that might be part of his ramp-up play. He practiced on Wednesday and might have just gotten some rest.
“I just know what my eyes have shown me, what Christian’s demonstrated has given us, through a really calculated plan, a good possibility of him playing on Monday night,” Kevin O’Connell said Wednesday.
The other major did not practice designation was behind Harrison Smith’s name. A star safety entering his age-36 season, Smith has been out for a while with a “personal health matter.” It’s listed as an illness. Smith was present for the walkthrough on Wednesday, but didn’t practice.
A veteran as experienced as the safety doesn’t have to practice to get up to speed on a mental side. It’s more of a physical concern, obviously. He has four more days to return to the field, and it will be fascinating to watch his name on the injury reports on Friday and Saturday.
Rookie defensive tackle Elijah Williams missed practice with a hamstring injury. At this point, he should be expected to be inactive on Monday, which has always been a possibility for the undrafted first-year defender.
Running back Zavier Scott also logged a DNP designation due to an ankle injury. If he’s out, Ty Chandler would just be the third running back.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.