The Plot Thickens on Vikings Latest Injury Report
Dustin Baker
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When the Minnesota Vikings released the first Week 1 injury report, a single human lived on the list — Jonathan Bullard, a free-agent defensive tackle addition from the Atlanta Falcons.
And that was it. One guy.
But on the second batch of injury revelations, the body count ballooned a bit. In addition to Bullard, a defensive starter, rookie safety Lewis Cine and running back Alexander Mattison appeared.
That’s a bicep malady for Bullard, a knee hiccup for Cine, and excused absence for Mattison. The report expanded from one guy to three.
Broadly speaking, the injury report is still minimal compared to other teams’ predicaments or a midseason version. But the Cine name-drop does raise eyebrows.
Why? Well, the word next to Cine’s name is knee, and that noun strikes fear in a fan’s heart. Biceps and excused absence don’t rattle the panic meter, yet a knee tweak causes alarm.
Thankfully, Cine’s issue can be mitigated soon — the Vikings take on the Packers in two days — so it’s not quite like a training camp scenario where one waits to see the true status of 2020 Danielle Hunter’s neck. Cine will either play, or he won’t play against the Packers, and a verdict will be rendered.
The Vikings hired a new head coach, Kevin O’Connell, in February from the Los Angeles Rams. O’Connell had just capped a Super Bowl triumph, and Minnesota swooped in for a ride on the “young, offensive-minded head coach” express. Interestingly, the 2021 Rams were one of the healthiest teams in the NFL last year — probably why they won the Super Bowl — so perhaps O’Connell and his crew have whisked some of that good-health voodoo to the Twin Cities, if only to start the season.
In August, the Vikings trod water at tight end with Irv Smith lost to a thumb injury, but the fourth-year TE seems good to go for Sunday — otherwise, he would be listed on the injury report.
And, for posterity, the Vikings rested all big-name starters for the entirety of the preseason. A teensy injury report was the goal. Sure, O’Connell’s team may show some rust out of the gate — like the Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills in the first half of Thursday’s game — but the Vikings opted for a pristine bill of health over live-game experience.
Aside from three names, a relatively healthy depth chart is what they have.
The Packers are favored by 1.5 points to down the Vikings on Sunday.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. 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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