Vikings First Injury Report of 2025 Is Bad … and Good
The Minnesota Vikings dropped their very first injury report of 2025 on Thursday, four days before the regular season opener at the Chicago Bears.
The Vikings released their first injury report of 2025, and the results were bittersweet as fans received both good and suspect news.
Folks hotly anticipated the document, as it would serve as a crescendo for all lingering injuries notable from training camp and the preseason.
In short, the release was bittersweet.
Vikings’ First Injury Update of 2025 Is a Mixed Bag
Some players are in. Some are mysterious for the Vikings.
Justin Jefferson a Full Go
Justin Jefferson, the headliner and showstopper, did not grace the list at all. He’s good to go.
Jefferson tweaked his hamstring way back at the start of training camp, and for a man with hamstring injury history, fans held their breath. But the suspense was all for nil — Jefferson will be in the house on Monday night, and that’s just all there is to it.
The 26-year-old said Thursday: “Credit to the training staff for really prepping me up until this point. Missing the whole training camp and just staying in that training room definitely gets to be dark days, being by yourself and competing with yourself, but you got to think about the ending result: having a healthy body, having a strong body to maintain a full season.”
Here’s the full injury report:
Andrew Van Ginkel a Full Practice Participant
More good news: Andrew Van Ginkel logged a full practice, an nearly ironclad indicator that he’ll be ready for Week 1.
Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling tweeted, “Andrew Van Ginkel was a full participant after missing the past couple weeks of training camp; it’s a neck injury for the edge rusher. Justin Jefferson also is completely off the injury report.”
Like Jefferson, Van Ginkel is now a virtual shoo-in for Monday Night Football.
Harrison Smith = DNP
Now for the mysteries.
Smith did not participate on Thursday, creating more suspense about his availability at the Bears. The long-time Vikings legend will embark on Year No. 14 sometime soon, and onlookers will merely hold their breath that Smith is ready for showtime in Week 1.
One source told VikingsTerritory that Smith is battling a hernia.
The Christian Darrisaw Mystery
Lastly, Christian Darrisaw wasn’t involved in practice Thursday, either.
Minnesota’s left tackle tore his ACL last October, and despite intense summer momentum suggesting Darrisaw would be ready for Week 1, the injury report created more uncertainty.
Darrisaw said Wednesday about his outlook to play on Monday, “I’ll leave that up to the training staff and Kevin O’Connell. I will do what they allow me to do every day. When I feel ready and they feel confident in me, I know I’ll be out there, playing at the same level as I was before.”
It’s worth noting that this brand of Vikings leadership has a documented history of “taking it easy” when getting injured players back on the field.
Darrisaw, as of Friday morning, feels like a coin flip to play at Soldier Field, with the odds slightly bending in his favor to see the field.
More On Darrisaw’s Status
Our own Janik Eckardt wrote about Darrisaw’s status this week: “Darrisaw, a 2021 first-rounder, showed flashes of excellence in his rookie season and then made the jump into the upper echelon of offensive tackles in his second campaign.”
“Ever since, he’s been an elite player for the Vikings, although he’s still looking for his first Pro Bowl and All-Pro nod. An injury-free season would go a long way, as he hasn’t had one yet. Last year, T.J. Hockenson was in a comparable situation, returning from a torn ACL.”
The Vikings will showcase a totally revamped offensive line this season, adding right guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly in free agency and drafting Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson in Round 1, a left guard.
“His comeback came in Week 9. The Vikings were extra careful and perhaps gave their top tight end a couple of extra weeks off. It’s hard to compare injuries from the outside, though. Nobody is fully revealing the plan, of course, but all things considered between the practice participation and the comments, it’s looking a lot like Mr. Darrisaw will be on the field Monday, unless the Vikings decide to be extra cautious, once again,” Eckardt continued.
“If he can’t go, it would be Justin Skule, a veteran tackle, to start in his place.”
A final injury report will arrive on Saturday, which will have the almighty clues.
You must be logged in to post a comment.