The Vikings Final Injury Report: Week 1

Contribution from Free
Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Marcus Davenport addressed the media from the TCO Performance Center. Davenport joined the Vikings in March of 2023 after four seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

The Minnesota Vikings open the 2023 regular season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at 12:00 pm CST, the first regular season game of the year. The Vikings are forecasted to win 8.5 games in 2023, and Tampa Bay lags slightly behind at 6.5.

The Vikings Final Injury Report: Week 1

This week, Troy Dye (LB), Ryan Wright (Punter), and Marcus Davenport (OLB) hit the injury report, but two were not reported on the final edition.

The Vikings Final
Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Overall, the Vikings are unusually healthy to start the season, a tendency that isn’t necessarily widespread around the league. We’ll take it.

These are each team’s injured players one day before Week 1.

Chatter about New
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports.

Vikings Injury Report

Questionable Marcus Davenport (OLB, ankle)

Buccaneers Injury Report

Moves off Will Levis
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports.

Questionable Calijah Kancey (DT, calf)
Questionable Cody Mauch (G, back)

Kaevon Merriweather (safety, quad), Anthony Nelson (outside linebacker, hamstring), Ke’Shawn Vaughn (running back, personal), and Antoine Winfield (safety, calf) were limited at practice at points this week, but all fully participated in practice on Friday. Pro Bowl center Ryan Jensen is on injured reserve.

The Vikings are favored by six points over the Buccaneers in Week 1. Minnesota has lost seven of its last nine matchups with Tampa Bay, dating back to 2001.

Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports.

Teams led by Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins are 1-1 (.500) against the Buccaneers in Cousins’ career. The one win was the famous “You Like That Game” game, where Cousins orchestrated a comeback over Tampa Bay, down 24-0 as a member of the Washington Commanders.

The Vikings haven’t lost a Week 1 game at home with fans in attendance since 2005 — when they fell to the Buccaneers.


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 Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.