Vikings Rookie Peels Back the Curtain on His Injury
The Minnesota Vikings haven’t deployed Donovan Jackson in the last two games due to a wrist injury, but thanks to the rookie’s candid revelation, onlookers learned more details this week.
The absence will likely turn out to be two games, and Vikings rookie guard Donovan Jackson told reporters what happened along the way this week regarding his injury.
Jackson basically threw caution to the wind in Week 3, played, and had surgery in Los Angeles a day later.
Vikings Rookie Guard Donovan Jackson on His Wrist Injury
The trenchman was unshy about details.
Donovan Jackson Tells All about Injury Situation
Remember when Jackson played against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3, his team won, and the next day he had wrist surgery? There’s a story — and explanation — for that.
Jackson told reporters Monday, “I was told that it was a significant injury in terms of risk, but they said, ‘Well, if you brace it up, you won’t have to get surgery at least for like another week.’ And so I was like, ‘Oh, so I can play the game.’ They’re like, ‘Well, we don’t recommend it.’ I was like, ‘No, you said another week. I’ll be fine.’ And so I played the game. Did what I could to the best of my abilities, and then I was really on a plane that same night.”
So, yes, Jackson had to nudge folks in the direction of his choosing, opting to play through the wrist injury.
A Return to the Lineup around the Bend
In addition to Jackson peeling back the curtain on his initial wrist diagnosis, the stars are aligning for his return to the starting lineup.
The saving grace three weeks ago was that Jackson’s injury wasn’t season-ending, and Minnesota didn’t have to use injured reserve, which would’ve shelved the rookie for four games. Meanwhile, the Ohio State alumnus will return to practice this week, per head coach Kevin O’Connell, and could be back in the mix as early as this weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles’ defensive front is usually pretty terrifying, and even with suspect EDGE rushers in 2025, that unit is not to be taken lightly. Nick Sirianni’s club still employs monster defensive tackles, making Jackson’s possible return in Week 7 all the more important.
It’s a safe bet to assume that Jackson will be there.
The Performance So Far
Jackson isn’t a Pro Bowler or anything close to it just yet, but his first few games encouraged eager Vikings fans who want to cash in on a productive draft pick.
Here’s Jackson’s Pro Football Focus scorecard to start his career:
- Week 1 at CHI: 74.3
- Week 2 vs. ATL: 44.4
- Week 3 at CIN: 55.3
And the pass protection:
- Week 1 at CHI: 88.1
- Week 2 vs. ATL: 38.8
- Week 3 at CIN: 66.6
Run Blocking:
- Week 1 at CHI: 66.9
- Week 2 vs. ATL: 47.2
- Week 3 at CIN: 58.9
The Falcons gave Jackson heartburn — like they did the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football in Week 6 — but the other two games proved that Jackson probably has the chops for the big leagues.
Vikings OL Approaches Full Strength
The big picture takeaway? Finally — Minnesota’s trenches are nearing tip-top shape.
Center Ryan Kelly won’t play anytime soon; he’s on injured reserve after two concussions in three games and five overall in his career. But aside from Kelly, the Vikings could deploy Jackson, Christian Darrisaw, Will Fries, and potentially Brian O’Neill — he’s recovering from an injury, too — this Sunday against Philadelphia.
That group has not played together in 2025, as Darrisaw missed Week 1 recovering from his 2024 torn ACL.
Other Jackson Takes
A to Z Sports‘ Tyler Forness assessed the Vikings’ 2025 performance to date, and noted on Jackson: “Rookie we need to see more from: OL Donovan Jackson. Let’s not get it twisted: Jackson’s been great so far this season.”
“He is attacking defensive linemen with aggressiveness and can absorb their power coming in on him. The wrist surgery was a tough one for his development, but he’s already shown that he’s a good starter. What we want to see more of is that kind of dominance. Is he 100% legit? More snaps will give us more information.”
Forness also handed the purple coaching staff a ‘B’ grade and explained, “It’s a tale of two parts. O’Connell focused too much on making his system work with McCarthy in the first two weeks, which was a mistake. There should have been more of a focus in helping McCarthy get adjusted to the NFL. The next three games saw a lot of those adjustments for the Vikings, and that was a huge factor in getting two wins with Wentz.”
“On defense, Flores has been massive. They are fantastic against the pass, but it has caused a struggle against the run. Having that kind of imbalance stinks, but it fits the mantra of “death by 1,000 cuts.” Getting better against the run still needs to be a priority, but limiting explosives in the passing game has been huge.”
Jackson will gain some real-life experience against Eagles’ DTs Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis in Week 7. Those two don’t kid around.
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