One Viking Will Be Back This Weekend
The Minnesota Vikings handled business over the weekend without Josh Oliver’s services, defeating the 6-5 Arizona Cardinals by a score of 23-22.
One Viking Will Be Back This Weekend
And when the purple team hosts Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons this Sunday, Oliver should be back in the lineup.
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis tweeted Monday, one day after Minnesota climbed to 10-2 on the season: “Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell says TE Josh Oliver is expected to play this week.”
The Oliver return from an ankle injury is especially encouraging because the Vikings continue to deal with a litany of injuries, including IR statuses for J.J. McCarthy, Christian Darrisaw, Mekhi Blackmon, Will Reichard, and Ivan Pace Jr., among others. Starting cornerback Stephon Gilmore also left Sunday’s win with a hamstring ailment.
Without Oliver, Minnesota has these TE options:
- T.J. Hockenson
- Johnny Mundt
- Nick Muse (Practice Squad)
- Sammis Reyes (Practice Squad)
Oliver has logged 144 receiving yards on 12 catches in his last 3 games, an impressive mark because he basically arrived out of nowhere as a temporary offensive staple. It felt like his counterpart, Hockenson, healed from injury and that served as a green light for both men to shine on Sundays.
The veteran tight end missed Minnesota’s Week 12 win over the Chicago Bears, too, so when it was all said and done, the Vikings won two games without him in the lineup. SI.com’s Will Ragatz mentioned Oliver’s status before the Bears-Vikings showdown in Week 12, “Oliver is at risk of missing this Sunday’s game, although the ankle injury he suffered in Tennessee isn’t believed to be a serious, multi-week issue. It would be a big loss for the Vikings if he can’t play, as he’s been excellent this season. Oliver has out-snapped T.J. Hockenson in each of the three games since Hockenson returned to action.”
His absence did turn out to be a multi-week issue, though just two games because he’s on track to return against the Falcons on Sunday.
In Oliver’s stead, TE3 Johnny Mundt has filled in admirably, even catching a crucial touchdown during the win over the Cardinals.
Minnesota is favored to take down the Falcons by 4.5 points on Sunday. Business is trending so poorly in Atlanta that some fans have called for Kirk Cousins to visit the bench in favor of rookie passer Michael Penix Jr. Cousins has never played a game as a guest at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Oliver’s deal with the Vikings has one year left, making 2025 his last on paper in Minnesota.
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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