Injuries Burden The Vikings: Sharrif Floyd Has Knee Surgery
Oh what a time it is to be a Vikings fan. Coming off one of the most exciting wins in recent memory vs. the Packers, the team has been bitten by the injury bug.
Following the announcements of losing both Adrian Peterson and Matt Kalil for the season, head coach Mike Zimmer announced Thursday that defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd had surgery on his left knee today.
https://twitter.com/Andrew_Krammer/status/779043408681668609
While breaking training camp, everyone commented on the amount of young talent and depth the Vikings carried into the regular season. We’ll now get a chance to see that in action as the Vikings have now lost their fourth starter for extended amounts of time.
Zimmer did not give a timetable for Floyd’s return, but did add the following:
Zimmer said Floyd is out of sight out of mind
— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) September 22, 2016
Although acknowledged as a cartilage issue for Floyd and classified as a ‘clean up,’ Zimmer’s comments above don’t necessarily provide a positive outline on Floyd’s immediate return.
Both Tom Johnson and Shamar Stephen have proven capable in filling the void left by Floyd, but that strategy again taps into the depth of a position the Vikings like to get creative with and rotate heavily during games.
I personally expect defensive end Brian Robison to get additional time inside as a pass rusher and standing up in unique defensive formations. Robison’s versatility provides another way to back-fill Floyd but also gives second year up and comer Danielle Hunter an opportunity to get on the field.
If you are looking for a silver lining, top corner back Xavier Rhodes has practiced for two consecutive days after missing the first two weeks of the season. Here’s hoping he can return for Sunday’s game.
Stay tuned to Vikings Territory as we’ll have more updates as their available about Floyd’s injury and potential return.