Looks Like the Vikings Will Miss a Star Player on Monday
The Minnesota Vikings will start their 2025 journey on Monday, with a primetime bout in Chicago against the divisional rivals. After a 14-3 season with some incoming reinforcements, the expectations are high in the State of 10,000 Lakes.
Looks Like the Vikings Will Miss a Star Player on Monday
As always, the Vikes will have six divisional contests in the upcoming season, including a pair of games versus the Bears.
Safety Harrison Smith has played in 192 regular-season games, 22 of which were against the Bears, logging a 13-9 record. His status for Monday is in doubt, and it doesn’t look like he’ll add any games or wins to his resume in Week 1.
The star defender has been dealing with what the Vikings called a “personal health matter,” and he was limited in both Friday’s and Saturday’s practices. On Saturday, the team released the final injury report, and Smith earned a doubtful designation.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert commented, “Smith practiced Saturday for the first time since a personal health issue sidelined him on Aug. 11, but he is listed as doubtful on the Vikings’ injury report. He almost certainly needs more practice and conditioning work before he is ready to play in a game. Assuming he does not play, Smith’s likely replacement is fourth-year safety Theo Jackson.”
The Vikings lost Cam Bynum in free agency, so Joshua Metellus might be the lone survivor from last year’s safety trio. Backup Theo Jackson’s deal was extended prior to free agency to allow him to take on more responsibility. He’d make his first career start if Smith is out. The next safety on the depth chart is 2023 mid-round pick Jay Ward, who has primarily been a special teamer so far, but made an overall positive impression in the recent preseason.
Brian Flores could also opt for more sets with three corners, which would increase Jeff Okudah’s role, and the coordinator is creative enough to move some other pieces around, which could ultimately lead to more run for Dallas Turner or another front-seven player.
O’Connell mentioned that Smith’s likely absence will be because of a physical ramp-up period from a conditioning standpoint, not because of mental deficiencies. He’s seen in all in the NFL and has played in Flores’ scheme for two years, and therefore doesn’t need practices to get comfortable with the defense. Smith will be back on the field once the body is in a good spot.
A little better is Christian Darrisaw’s outlook for Monday. The standout left tackle suffered a season-ending knee injury last October, and it sounds like he’s in the final days of his recovery. He logged full practices on Friday and Saturday after sitting out on Thursday. Darrisaw received a questionable designation for the game. If he’s out, expect veteran free-agent addition Justin Skule to take his spot.
Zavier Scott, who’s either RB3 or RB4, will not make his NFL debut. Ty Chandler will undoubtedly work as the third runner behind Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. Defensive tackle Elijah Williams has also been ruled out, which could lead to some extra run for Levi Drake Rodriguez and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins.
The Bears, meanwhile, will likely be without linebacker T.J. Edwards (doubtful), and star corner Jaylon Johnson is listed as questionable after missing a ton of practice time throughout the summer. Even if he’s playing, shutting down Justin Jefferson without being in top shape seems far-fetched. Ex-Vikings defender Nahshon Wright could replace him, and the Vikings certainly like that matchup.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Pro Football Reference helped with this article.