Vikings Could Be Down 4 Starters on Defense
The Minnesota Vikings won for the sixth straight time at Soldier Field on Monday night, getting the J.J. McCarthy era off on the right foot — and in comeback fashion.
The Minnesota Vikings play the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football, and the way it’s trending, the defense could involve a skeleton crew.
But the club paid a hefty price, with roughly four starting defensive players’ statuses in the balance with Week 2 just three days away.
Vikings’ Defense Already Littered with Injuries
Here’s a look at the stakes on defense.
Andrew Van Ginkel: Concussion Protocol
The Vikings announced Wednesday that Van Ginkel is in the NFL’s concussion protocol after Monday Night Football, an unfortunate development, in general, and because Van Ginkel is an integral component of Brian Flores’ defense.
Van Ginkel nearly took another pick-six to the house from Caleb Williams in Week 1, and played well overall, which is modus operandi.
A player’s average time in the concussion protocol is nine days, meaning Van Ginkel will have to beat the odds if he wishes to play against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2.
Would-Be Replacement: Dallas Turner
Blake Cashman: Hamstring
Cashman chased Bears quarterback Caleb Williams on a wild play Monday night, coming up with a limp after Williams escaped the Vikings’ pressure.
The team later declared the injury as a hamstring ailment, and those never heal overnight or anything close to it. In fact, when Justin Jefferson encountered a similar injury in 2023, he missed seven games, which was ironically accompanied by a Vikings win streak.
Cashman won’t be in the lineup on Sunday Night Football and could miss about a month.
Thankfully, Erick Wilson played wonderfully in Week 1.
Would-Be Replacement: Eric Wilson
Harrison Smith: Unknown
Smith continues to battle a mysterious ailment, only called “personal” by the team.
Until 2025, Smith had never missed a Week 1 game, snapping his 13-year streak when the Vikings took on the Bears sans his services. Without him, the purple team leaned on freshly-promoted safety Theo Jackson and 2024 4th-Rounder Jay Ward.
Smith told reporters that he plans to ramp up at practice for his return, focusing on his conditioning, but he wasn’t crystal-clear about a go-live date. That could be this Sunday night — it could be Sunday, September 21st, against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Would-Be Replacement: Jay Ward
Jeff Okudah: Concussion Protocol
Just like Van Ginkel, Okudah, the club’s new CB3, entered the concussion protocol, which usually involves the aforementioned nine-day absence before the player can return to a regular season game.
Sadly, Okudah’s concussion occurred on the final play of Bears-Vikings. The play was a last-gasp effort by Chicago, and for Okudah to get concussed on such a dumb play is particularly depressing.
Okudah actually didn’t play much at Soldier Field, logging just 16 snaps in his Vikings debut. Therefore, if he can’t play in Week 2, his replacement will likely experience limited duty.
Would-Be Replacement: Dwight McGlothern
Van Ginkel News and Notes
Our Janik Eckardt noted on Van Ginkel this week, “If Van Ginkel were indeed out for Sunday’s clash against the Falcons, the Vikings would turn to last year’s first-rounder, Dallas Turner. The sophomore was drafted with high expectations and has yet to come close to meeting them.”
“Patience is needed for a guy who entered the league at the age of 21, and Week 1 was a solid outing for the athletic defender. Back to Van Ginkel, he was signed in free agency in 2024 and immediately became a superstar after reuniting with defensive coordinator Brian Flores.”
Durability has been a hallmark of Van Ginkel’s career to date, so he likely won’t be out long.
Eckardt continued, “In year one back in the Midwest, the Iowa native scored 11.5 sacks, 79 tackles, and 18 tackles for loss. Of course, he also scored a pair of touchdowns, making it his signature move to jump passes into the flat. In the first game of the year, he knocked down a pass from Caleb Williams that he couldn’t quite snag, but he still ruined the play. In the past offseason, the Vikings secured the defender’s services for another season.”
“He had been scheduled to hit free agency after the season, but earned a one-year contract extension worth $23 million, which will be added to the two-year contract he signed in 2024, with an average annual salary of $10 million. The initial deal was a bargain, and the extension was well deserved and might still be below market value. Van Ginkel turned 30 in July.”
Friday’s injury report will provide large clues about the skeleton crew.
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