Apr 25, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide linebacker Dallas Turner poses after being selected by the Minnesota Vikings as the No. 17 pick in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft at Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
The Minnesota Vikings won’t get quarterback J.J. McCarthy back in 2024, but the “other” rookie, outside linebacker Dallas Turner, avoided a major injury on Sunday.
Minnesota defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Week 2, 23-16, a game in which it held a 4.5-point underdog status shortly before kickoff. The Vikings are undefeated through two weeks and have sole possession of first place in the NFC North.
Turner, who joined the Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft during a flurry of expensive trades, injured his knee versus San Francisco, an incident that raised eyebrows as Minnesota has already battled a litany of health setbacks since late July.
But according to The Athletic, Turner will be just fine, assuming head coach Kevin O’Connell confirms on Monday or Tuesday.
Alec Lewis tweeted about an hour after Vikings-49ers: “Dallas Turner was walking around in locker room postgame, good sign.”
And Monday morning, Lewis added, “Early returns this morning sound positive for Dallas Turner, don’t think he’ll miss much time if any… Expect a detailed update from KOC in a couple hours.”
Turner has logged 54 defensive snaps in his first two NFL games, on the field about 38% of the time. He’s tabulated 5 tackles, a sack, and a tackle for loss, along with a ho-hum 48.1 Pro Football Focus grade. But such is often the case for rookies per PFF in their first few games.
On the injury front, generally speaking, Vikings fans will also monitor Justin Jefferson’s status after a quad injury late in Sunday’s win. “I’m not seriously injured,” Jefferson told reporters after the win. “That’s the main important thing. So, it’s just all about getting to the training room, making sure my body is right for next week, and I’ll be ready to go next Sunday.”
Head coach Kevin O’Connell opined on the Jefferson injury, too. “I think Fred Warner went in to make the play. That happens a lot. Not intentional, but he got a little leg-to-leg contact on that.”
“It’s pretty sore, but he’s already up and moving and we’ll treat that thing and hopefully he’ll be day to day and we’ll see what his status is for next week,” O’Connell added about his playmaker’s predicament.
In a preliminary sense, the Vikings dodged bullets on major Turner or Jefferson injuries, and both men could be available this weekend against the Houston Texans. Minnesota is also temporarily without the services of Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, and Dalton Risner, though Addison could return in Week 3.
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.