An Injury Verdict on Jonathan Greenard Is In
The worst did not come true for Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Jonathan Greenard. The veteran EDGE defender may miss a game with a bad shoulder, but his absence will not bleed into the long term, as fans feared Sunday afternoon and evening.
The Vikings have revealed the injury verdict on standout pass rusher Jonathan Greenard, clarifying his status and what it means for the defense.
Greenard fell injured while tackling Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in Week 10, and because injuries totally rattled Minnesota in the season’s first half, doomsday was assumed for Greenard.
Not so fast.
Jonathan Greenard Avoids Major Injury
Your prayers paid off.
It’s a Minor Injury for Greenard
And just like that, there’s no totally grim fate for Greenard.
NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport tweeted Monday, “Vikings edge Jonathan Greenard, who left Sunday’s loss with a shoulder injury, is dealing with what is believed to be a minor injury that may just cost him a week. Overall good news.”
NBC Sports‘ Josh Alper added, “Head coach Kevin O’Connell said at a Monday press conference that there was ‘good news’ after further evaluation of the shoulder. O’Connell said they will ‘see how he does throughout the week’ and that he could potentially play against the Bears in Week 11.”
“Greenard has 31 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble while starting every game for the Vikings so far this season. O’Connell also said that safety Theo Jackson has cleared the concussion protocol and should return to action this week.”
Collective Sigh of Relief
There’s no other way around it: based on Greenard’s reaction to the shoulder injury, many (most?) onlookers feared the worst. The Pro Bowl EDGE rolled around in pain for a couple of minutes before jogging to the sidelines. Mere minutes later, the Vikings ruled Greenard out for the rest of the game, with a waiting game ensuing.
Folks daydreamed what Dallas Turner might look like as the starting EDGE for the rest of the season. That notion is now kaput as Greenard will indeed be back before too long.
Dallas Turner in Week 11?
Still, the updates don’t sound terribly promising for Greenard’s prognosis this Sunday against the Bears, meaning Turner, who filled in admirably against the Ravens, will likely get the nod in Week 11. The officiating crew flagged Turner for a roughing the passer infraction after a sack on Lamar Jackson. But other than that, Turner played like a breath of fresh air at U.S. Bank Stadium, firing up a 71.0 Pro Football Focus grade for his troubles.
Turner as a full-timer would’ve been just fine for the long-term health of the organziation — to see what the guy’s got with the best EDGE defender on the shelf — but Greenard is still a superior performer at this stage of his career.
Expect a healthy dose of Turner against Chicago on Sunday if Greenard can’t make it back.
Vikings Could Be Close to Full Health for Packers, Seahawks Games
Meanwhile, the Vikings hinted Monday that center Ryan Kelly’s practice window will soon open. Kelly hasn’t been seen in about two months after suffering two concussions in 14 days.
If Kelly gets the nod to start in Week 12 or Week 13, along with Greenard’s presumptive return after the Bears contest, Minnesota could be looking at a totally healthy starting lineup, assuming no major injuries emerge versus Chicago.
Minnesota has not enjoyed that setup all year. At least one starter — usually multiple — has missed time in every game.
Star Tribune on Greenard, the Vikings’ Week 10 Loss
Ben Goessling noted on Week 10, “The Vikings turned the ball over three times, between McCarthy’s interceptions and Myles Price’s lost fumble that set up the Ravens’ first touchdown of the day. The Minnesota defense was on the field for 65 plays, struggling to stop the Ravens’ vaunted run game in the second half, and the Vikings offense put too many of its own drives in a bad spot with eight false starts among six players.”
“After beating the Lions in Detroit last week, the Vikings are back to 4-5 and will need to maintain their perfect record in the NFC North if they want to keep their playoff hopes in decent shape. They will be concerned, too, with McCarthy’s day after the quarterback’s interceptions and the state of the offense as a whole after the false starts and second-half pressure against McCarthy. The shoulder injury to linebacker Jonathan Greenard, too, could force the Vikings to play without one of their most important defenders.”
With Greenard’s status up in the air, Minnesota is expected to defeat Chicago by three or four points on Sunday.
Wednesday’s first injury report of the week will provide the best early clue about Greenard. A “DNP” will set a path to not playing.
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