Another Reason the Vikings 2022 Forecast Is Better than Last Year

Another Reason the Vikings 2022 Forecast Is Better than Last Year
Kevin O'Connell

On a day when Carson Wentz was traded to the Washington Commanders, the Minnesota Vikings hired a new athletic trainer, replacing the outgoing Eric Sugarman, who held the job for 16 years.

Indeed, that sounds like small potatoes compared to a QB1 trade — and, on the whole, it is — but the addition of new athletic trainer Tyler Williams is a noteworthy transaction.

He brings an impressive resume to the Vikings, spending the last 15 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams as the franchise’s director of sports science/assistant athletic trainer. Yes, that includes the Super Bowl triumph from a month ago.

Minnesota battled injuries in 2020 and 2021 — some identify those as reasons the teams succumbed to sudden mediocrity — to players like Danielle Hunter, Michael Pierce, Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks, and Anthony Barr. There is no other way to put it — the Vikings were ravaged by injury during the last two seasons, especially on defense.

Here’s why the forecast for 2022 in terms of [hopefully] preventing injuries is rosy:

Since the hiring of Sean McVay in Los Angeles, the Rams roster has stayed remarkably healthy. And Tyler Williams, the Vikings new trainer, was in the house.

Of course, the Rams health could be a gigantic coincidence. Yet, due to the persistent health of the franchise with players missing fewer games in relation to other teams, the Vikings should be in good shape with Williams and new head coach Kevin O’Connell.

Los Angeles Rams on Twitter: "Rams+: Inside the #Rams Athletic Training  Room with Tyler Williams #NATM2015 READ: http://t.co/L7vgYU5axY  http://t.co/IkKhxzpBQW" / Twitter
Tyler Williams. Image Courtesy of the Los Angeles Rams

Among injury-prone players on the roster, Danielle Hunter leads the pack as of late. Hunter missed 79% of all games in the last two seasons, making the defensive trenches less plentiful for Mike Zimmer’s Vikings. In 2021, the team still found a way to get sacks — they ranked second in the NFL in sacks — but the pressure on opposing quarterbacks waned without Hunter.

Moreover, the Vikings lead yard-getter on the ground, Dalvin Cook, typically misses at least a couple of games per season because of injury. If Cook is back in 2021, he’ll be 27 years old, nearing twilight years for elite performance by most tailbacks.

It is unclear why the Vikings moved on from Sugarman after so many years. But based on Williams’ track record with Los Angeles — the Super Bowl ring is pretty neat, too — Minnesota should be in good hands with Sugarman’s replacement.

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. His YouTube Channel, VikesNow, debuts in March 2022. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).

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