One Kneejerk Vikings Theory Was Wrong
Shortly before the Minnesota Vikings kicked off a Week 13 showdown with the Arizona Cardinals at U.S. Bank Stadium, right guard Ed Ingram was deemed a healthy scratch, inactive for the contest.
One Kneejerk Vikings Theory Was Wrong
Ingram had recently been benched for Dalton Risner, so when the news hit of his inactive status, onlookers ran with a theory that Ingram was in the doghouse.
But that was false.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted before Vikings-Cardinals, “Vikings Week 13 inactives: TE Josh Oliver, S Jay Ward, CB Dwight McGlothern, DL Levi Drake Rodriguez, OL Michael Jurgens, G Ed Ingram. Brett Rypien is the emergency QB. OL Dan Feeney and OL Walter Rouse are both active today. 👀”
The reality? Ingram is not on the verge of a roster cut, nor did anything nefarious emerge to explain his inactive status. Put simply, the Vikings just needed offensive tackle depth in Week 13 because Cam Robinson spent the whole week on the injury report.
Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling tweeted, “Kevin O’Connell said the Vikings deactivated Ed Ingram today so they could get another tackle on the gameday roster with Cam Robinson coming off a foot injury.”
O’Connell subsequently said about Robinson’s gutsy performance, “Cam did a hell of a job working through that foot, and he was going to give it a go, but we felt pretty stressed in Chicago only having one tackle up beyond Cam.”
Star Tribune‘s Andrew Krammer later added more context: “Guard Ed Ingram, a 2022 second-round pick, went from losing his starting spot to being a healthy scratch against the Cardinals. Ingram was deactivated because left tackle Cam Robinson was playing through a right foot injury that had knocked him out of the previous game in Chicago during the first quarter.
“The Vikings activated an extra backup tackle, rookie Walter Rouse, and to make room they ended up activating Dan Feeney, who plays guard and center, and deactivated Ingram, a guard, and backup center Michael Jurgens.”
So, while Ingram is not in a desired spot on the bench behind Risner, it’s not “the end of an era” for his existence on the team. Minnesota merely needed more OT bodies for the Cardinals matchup, which it ultimately won 23-22.
Ingram may or may not be active this weekend versus the Atlanta Falcons, and his status with the club beyond this season is up in the air. However, his healthy scratch was not a conspiratorial event suggesting a departure in the near future.
The Vikings just needed OTs. Ingram doesn’t play OT.
There’s a J.J. McCarthy Injury Update
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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