All Eyes Turn to 2 Injuries for Vikings-49ers
The Minnesota Vikings have a tall task on tap for Sunday afternoon, hosting the Super Bowl runner-up San Francisco 49ers at U.S. Bank Stadium.
All Eyes Turn to 2 Injuries for Vikings-49ers
The 49ers, a team that trampled Aaron Rodgers’ New York Jets on Monday Night Football, are favored to win by six points.
And while the Vikings, too, played marvelously in Week 1, most pundits and sportsbooks don’t believe the success will continue into Week 2. Along the way, the Vikings-49ers lead-up showcases two main injury situations, both on the offensive side of the ball for the respective teams.
Jordan Addison (MIN, WR)
About a month ago, Addison injured his ankle at Vikings practice in Cleveland and was, in fact, carted off the field. J.J. McCarthy was ruled out for the 2024 season on the same day, so it truly felt like doomsday.
But Addison recovered from that ankle injury — only to be ready just in time for the Vikings’ beatdown of the Giants. But Addison hurt the other ankle during that contest and is now in jeopardy for Week 2. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said about the injury this week, “Getting some treatment today and we’ll kind of see how it goes. He’s responded in the past pretty quickly with a similar injury. So, we’ll just see and I’ll try to keep you guys updated based upon the week.”
Generally speaking, Addison is probably a longshot to play this weekend, promoting Jalen Nailor to the WR2 role, a man who scored a touchdown at the Giants.
“Still hopeful that Jordan will have a chance this week. But we’ll be smart with him knowing it’s a long season and how important he is to our offense,” O’Connell added.
This brand of Vikings has a history of treating injuries with extreme caution, so Addison on the shelf for a week is the likeliest outcome.
Christian McCaffrey (SF, RB)
San Francisco played the last game of the Week 1 docket, and McCaffrey was a surprise scratch early Monday evening. NFL fans — fantasy football managers, especially — believed the reigning Offensive Player of the Year would play on Monday night, but running back Jordan Mason took the mantle instead.
49ers leaders and McCaffrey sounded optimistic all week during the build-up to 49ers-Jets, but that didn’t translate to McCaffrey’s presence on the field. Then on Wednesday morning, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted, “49ers RB Christian McCaffrey (Achilles/calf) feels like a long-shot for Sunday against the Vikings.”
McCaffrey is dealing with Achilles tendonitis.
Like Addison, the superstar veteran is unlikely to suit up, though the 49ers shocked the masses last week with injury-related dealings.
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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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