Sep 29, 2024; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a Minnesota Vikings helmet during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images.
The Minnesota Vikings (5-2) host the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night, a meeting that will either reignite Minnesota’s winning ways or further a recent losing plunge.
And the day before that event, the team conducted some roster maintenance, activating offensive guard Dalton Risner after a long back injury recovery and elevating defensive tackle Jalen Redmond to the active roster. It also put rookie defensive tackle Taki Taimani on injured reserve.
The Vikings’ main social media team tweeted Saturday, “The Vikings have activated G Dalton Risner from IR. He will enter MIN-IND with no game designation. DL Taki Taimani has been placed on IR and DL Jalen Redmond has been elevated to the active roster for tomorrow’s game.”
Taimani is battling an ankle injury and will miss at least the next four games. With Taimani in the lineup, fellow rookie Levi Drake Rodriguez is expected to make his NFL debut in Week 9 or 10.
Through seven games, Taimani appeared in all this season, tabulating 70 defensive snaps and 34 special teams plays. The Oregon alumnus had played about 14% of the time during his maiden voyage campaign.
This is Minnesota’s DT group — sometimes called “defensive ends” in Brian Flores’ system — entering the matchup versus Indianapolis:
Taimani is the latest Viking to hit IR — and hopefully the last. This is the IR batch at the moment:
Taimani has logged 3 tackles through seven games and is accountable for a 61.2 Pro Football Focus grade, albeit in a small-ish sample.
The rookie made the 53-man roster cut late in August, one of the surprising participants on the active roster. Often, undrafted rookies like Taimani either get waived or tossed on the practice squad. But Taimani had the juice to make the big leagues right away.
Minnesota is a five-point favorite to take Indianapolis on Sunday Night Football. The last time the clubs met, the Vikings pulled off the grandest comeback in NFL history.
Notable playmaker T.J. Hockenson will make his debut on SNF.
Taimani turned 25 last month.
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.