Injury Fears for “Other” Vikings WR Were Overblown
The Minnesota Vikings have encountered an awful week — and summer — for injuries, tragedies, and turmoil. Rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy tore his meniscus last weekend and will miss the entire 2024 season. Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon’s season ended because of an ACL injury at the beginning of training camp. And wide receiver Jordan Addison was carted off the practice field on Wednesday, though his injury isn’t considered overly serious.
Injury Fears for “Other” Vikings WR Were Overblown
And on a terrible Wednesday for the Vikings, one high-profile NFL aggregator account, MLFootball, implied wide receiver Thayer Thomas would be “another one bites the dust” situation in Minnesota.
That account tweeted, “NEWS: Vikings receiver Thayer Thomas just went down on the field with an injury. 🙏 It’s been an awful day for Minnesota … who has lost the young stud quarterback, JJ McCarthy for the season & has suffered multiple injuries and joint practices today.”
Here’s the full tweet:
MLFootball provided no follow-up tweet, instead leading onlookers to believe that Thomas might’ve succumbed to a grim fate like McCarthy or Blackmon.
Well, the problem with the tweet lies in the context. Thomas’ injury was not major, nor did it merit a special post. It seems the tweet was designed to pile on the avalanche of bad Vikings news — also known as “stirring the pot.”
Pioneer Press‘ Dane Mizutani tweeted after the injury scare, “Kevin O’Connell clarified after practice that he was simply trying to pause the action to make sure Thayer Thomas was OK. He loved the physicality today from both sides.”
Thomas is vying for a 53-man roster spot this summer, which will be determined in 12 days when Minnesota shaves its roster on August 27th. These are the WR combatants as of August 14th:
- Justin Jefferson
- Jordan Addison
- Jalen Nailor
- Brandon Powell
- Trishton Jackson
- Jeshaun Jones
- Trent Sherfield
- Ty James
- Lucky Jackson
- Thayer Thomas
- Malik Knowles
The North Carolina State alumnus spent 2023 on the practice squad after joining the Vikings via undrafted free agency in May 2023. Some fans have considered him a sleeper to make the regular season roster this year, though that might be a longshot.
Thomas tabulated 215 catches for 2,484 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns in five seasons at North Carolina State from 2018 to 2022. That production prompted the UDFA relationship with Minnesota 15 months ago.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell praised Thomas earlier in the offseason, as well. “Looking at Thayer. I was joking with him out there, cause really one year to the day of the first time we got on the grass with him,” he said in May. “Just the growth, and the development, and the mindset that he has now. And really being a calming presence out there.”
Thankfully, the man suffered a “normal” big hit at joint practices with the Browns and avoided becoming part of Minnesota’s fastly-growing injury list.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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