New Injuries Ravage the Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings’ triumph in New York over the Giants didn’t mean much on the whole because the club was mathematically eliminated from the postseason a week ago, but a fresh round of injuries spoiled the fun nevertheless.
The Vikings’ win in New York didn’t bring relief — it brought another list of names, another round of evaluations, and another week of uncertainty.
From the very start of the season until the bitter end, injuries have dominated all things Vikings, and fans must now merely hope that next year will be a regression to the mean — in a good way.
The Latest Injury Concerns Piling Up for Minnesota
Another game for the Vikings, another batch of nasty injuries.
J.J. McCarthy Smashes Hand into Helmet
McCarthy played decently at the Giants until he whacked his hand on a helmet, causing him to leave the game in the 2nd Quarter.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote, “The Minnesota Vikings are embarking on another round of injury evaluation for quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who did not play in the second half of Sunday’s 16-13 victory over the New York Giants because of a hand injury.”
“X-rays on the hand were negative, coach Kevin O’Connell said, but McCarthy was scheduled for further testing Monday. The Vikings have a short week of preparation before their next game, which is scheduled for Thursday afternoon against the Detroit Lions. The tight turnaround raises the possibility that McCarthy will miss his seventh game of the season because of a third different injury.”
Here’s the play:
Like the last 20 months with McCarthy, it’s now a waiting game on his injury status. He may or may not play again this season, a brutal development for his long-term trajectory.
If McCarthy cannot play on Christmas Day against the Detroit Lions, undrafted rookie Max Brosmer will take over. He filled in on Sunday and played better than he did in his horrendous Week 13 showing at Seattle.
Zone Coverage‘s Tom Schreier on Brosmer eyeing Week 17: “The Vikings play in four days. Their Christmas Day game against the Detroit Lions would feel meaningful if they hadn’t blown the Chicago Bears game at home with a special teams blunder, and if they had taken advantage of winnable games against the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens. Instead, it’s a game between two teams that probably won’t make the playoffs.”
“What if Max Brosmer looks like Brock Purdy in the final two weeks? It seems unlikely that McCarthy will start in four days. Kevin O’Connell said that X-rays were negative on his right hand, meaning he avoided a broken bone. However, the team will further test the hand to see if he has ligament damage. After the game, O’Connell said he wasn’t sure McCarthy was able to grip the ball on the strip sack that ended his day.”
Jordan Mason Carted Off
It wasn’t just McCarthy. Mason left the game, too.
NBC Sports‘ Michael David Smith noted Sunday, “The Vikings’ top two running backs, Jordan Mason and Aaron Jones, were both injured on the first drive of today’s game against the Giants. Both players were initially listed as questionable with ankle injuries.”
“Mason was later ruled out for the rest of the game, while Jones returned. Mason looked worse than questionable: He went to the locker room on a cart and had the demeanor of a player who thought he had suffered a serious injury. Jones went into the medical tent and then came out, put on his helmet and was seen jogging on the sideline, so his injury does not appear to be as serious.”
Mason never returned, and the worst is feared for his injury, though Monday or Tuesday should provide context on the severity.
And on Jones, he returned to help snuff out the Giants, daggering New York on the game’s final drive. His performance was noteworthy because it was rather evident that he was not 100%.
Running back Zavier Scott will get more playing time if Mason is ruled out for the rest of the season.
Ryan Kelly with 3rd Concussion of the Season
Having fun yet? We are not.
Kelly left the game with a concussion, which, if fully confirmed this week, would be his third this season alone. It almost feels like a Higher Power is screaming at Kelly to retire.
The four-time Pro Bowler even wore a Guardian helmet when he returned from his second concussion. That device did him no justice in Week 16, as the early reporting called his ailment yet another brain injury.
Second-year center Michael Jurgens will be the next man up. Kelly almost certainly won’t return this season, and he should probably retire.
8 Men Already on IR
Without McCarthy, Mason, or Kelly, here’s a running list of all Vikings players on injured reserve or the Physically Unable to Perform list:
- Gavin Bartholmew (TE)
- Ty Chandler (RB)
- Zeke Correll (C)
- Christian Darrisaw (LT)
- Jonathan Greenard (OLB)
- Josh Metellus (S)
- Rondale Moore (WR)
- Matt Nelson (OT)
- Jeff Okudah (CB)
- Carson Wentz (WR)
Practice windows for Bartholomew and Chandler have been opened, so their returns are imminent.
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