Questions Answered: Jordan Addison’s Latest Ordeal, J.J. McCarthy’s Absence, Darnold on Saturday for Vikings
The following questions are about current Minnesota Vikings topics, answered by VikingsTerritory. Today is the August 15th edition, addressed in a from-the-hip fashion. If you have questions, please email them to [email protected].
Questions Answered: Jordan Addison’s Latest Ordeal, J.J. McCarthy’s Absence, Darnold on Saturday for Vikings
Also, please note: These are opinion-based responses. Some answers will be incorrect from time to time. But we’ll try to keep that to a minimum.
Q: Do you think Jordan Addison will miss the start of the regular season?
Answer: It’s possible, but we predict no.
Vikings fans erupted in shock on Wednesday when Addison was carted off at joint practices in Cleveland. And rightfully so — J.J. McCarthy had just been announced to be out for the year, and everything felt like it was crumbling.
Thankfully, head coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters Thursday that Addison’s injury isn’t major. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee he’ll be ready for Week 1 — 24 days from now — at the Giants. He has an ankle injury, and those aren’t assured to nag like a hamstring, for example.
We believe Addison will be ready for the Giants, though that’s just a gut feeling.
Q: Can the Vikings still be good without J.J. McCarthy?
Answer: Sure, but because they have a brutal schedule, the ceiling is lower, probably in the neighborhood of 11-6 if everything goes really, really well.
Losing McCarthy really stunk, as he’ll likely miss the entire season, forcing everything to “start over” during the 2025 offseason. The goal was for McCarthy to earn some meaningful reps this season, but that feels like an extreme longshot now.
Our prediction? Minnesota will finish around 7-10, chiefly because the schedule is so tough.
Q: Will Sam Darnold play in the preseason game on Saturday?
A: That hasn’t been firmly announced, but we’d guess no. Kevin O’Connell did say earlier in the week that Darnold is unlikely to play.
Before last weekend, Kevin O’Connell fancied a strategy of resting starters in August games. Against the Las Vegas Raiders last weekend, however, the entire starting offensive line played, along with Sam Darnold and Jordan Addison. About seven defensive starters saw the field, too.
With McCarthy’s injury front and center, we think O’Connell will play it safe, as the franchise is one injury away from a Nick Mullens season. That isn’t totally terrible, but it would certainly dampen any widespread enthusiasm that still remains.
We pick Mullens and Jaren Hall to split snaps versus the Browns on Saturday.
3 Injury Updates for Vikings
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 MIN 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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