The Vikings Made 8 Roster Moves on Wednesday
The Minnesota Vikings have one or two last-gasp chances to fix the 2023 season after a lousy 1-4 start. Minnesota’s only win occurred versus the Carolina Panthers, the league’s worst team with an 0-5 record.
The Vikings Made 8 Roster Moves on Wednesday
And amid the tribulations, the Vikings fired off eight roster moves Wednesday, a jumble of transactions, mostly to combat injuries.
The Vikings travel to Chicago for a date with the Bears and are 2.5-point favorites to knock off Matt Eberflus’ team.
Here are the eight moves from Wednesday.
The IR Trips
To IR:
Justin Jefferson (WR)
Nick Mullens (QB)
By far the most noteworthy — and brutal — news of the week, Jefferson hit injured reserve for at least the next four games after a hamstring injury against the Kansas City Chiefs.
On that list, QB2 Nick Mullens joins him with a bad back.
Mullens missing time doesn’t really matter because QB1 Kirk Cousins never gets injured. But Jefferson is an obvious and perhaps fatal blow to the 2023 season. We shall see if the offense can rally sans Jefferson, which feels like a longshot.
The New Guys
To Practice Squad:
Dan Chisena (WR)
Troy Fumagalli (TE)
Sean Mannion (QB)
Two reunions, Chisena was a special teams gunner for the Vikings in 2021 and 2022. Mannion is wickedly familiar to Vikings fans and is essentially the face of QB2 during the Mike Zimmer era. Minnesota had roster spots, well, practice squad openings, available after Jefferson and Mullens hit the shelf.
Fumagalli is a former Denver Broncos tight end who will live on the practice squad, too.
The Promotions
From Practice Squad to Active Roster:
N’Keal Harry (WR)
Trishton Jackson (WR)
The Vikings need pass-catching depth with Jefferson out for a month, and Harry + Jackson are on tap for the gigs.
Harry was a 1st-Round draft pick four years ago but never really caught on in New England. Jackson is a summer legend for the Vikings, maybe poised to breakout on a regular season field for the first time in his career.
Of course, neither will replace Jefferson, but the purple team requires able-bodied humans to catch passes from Kirk Cousins.
The Return
Designated to Return from IR:
Kene Nwangwu (KR-RB)
The Vikings have three weeks to activate Nwangwu, the club’s super speedy, explosive kick returner. The Iowa State alumnus was listed as the RB2 during the summer, but an injury postponed the assignment.
Nwangwu brings incredible speed to special teams and the offense, so we shall see when and how Minnesota uses the 25-year-old in 2023.
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.
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