Vikings Send 4 Players Into an Early Offseason
On Friday, the Minnesota Vikings revealed the final injury report of the 2025 campaign ahead of the Week 18 contest against the Green Bay Packers. Four players have been ruled out for the season finale.
1. Aaron Jones
Minnesota’s top running back Aaron Jones will miss Sunday’s game against his old employer, the Green Bay Packers.
A hip injury has prevented him from contributing all week long and he won’t be ready for Sunday. Jones has been through an injury-riddled season. A hamstring cost him four games earlier in the season and shoulder and ankle injuries have bothered him recently.
Unsurprisingly, he was about half as productive as last year, with only 548 rushing yards, 199 receiving yards, and three total touchdowns. Jones’ availability and workload will be a major offseason question as the Vikings evaluate whether he can still be relied upon as a lead back in 2026.
Backup Jordan Mason missed the Christmas game with an ankle injury, but he’s ready to make his return after logging two full practices to close the week. He’ll get all the carries he can handle.
2. T.J. Hockenson
Tight end T.J. Hockenson will miss his second consecutive game with a shoulder injury. Given his three missed practices this week, he wasn’t particularly close to suiting up.
Just like all Vikings pass-catchers, Hockenson had a disappointing season. His final season numbers are 51 catches for 438 yards and three touchdowns. He’s looked more explosive than last year when he returned from the ACL tear, but his numbers don’t show that improvement.
Ultimately, the Vikings needed him to protect the passer because of the offensive tackle issues this year, with Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw in and out of the lineup. That new responsibility certainly cost him some yardage output, and so did the poor quarterback play. His usage and health heading into next season will factor heavily into how Minnesota reshapes its passing offense.
Fellow tight end Josh Oliver will play some extra snaps and C.J. Ham could get more run, too.
3. Myles Price
Undrafted rookie Myles Price has been a sneaky good returner for the Vikings, if we ignore a couple of his fumbles. He’s recorded some sweet returns with his shifty running style. Frequent penalties along the blocking unit cost him some of his best runs, though.
He left last week’s game early with an ankle injury. Jalen Nailor stepped into the role as the punt returner, but had only one fair catch.
4. Gavin Bartholomew
Another rookie, tight end Gavin Bartholomew has missed the entire season through 17 weeks with a nagging back injury he sustained in the summer. Unfortunately, the Vikings won’t activate him to the 53-man roster. He’s still on the PUP list, and despite practicing fully for a couple of weeks, he’ll be a true redshirt player.
Drafted in the sixth round, the Vikings hoped he could assume Johnny Mundt’s role, as the veteran departed to Jacksonville in free agency. Instead, it’s been rookie Ben Yurosek.
Editor’s Note: Information from PFF, Over The Cap, and Sports Reference helped with this article.