Vikings Final Injury Report Is a Cliffhanger

Dustin Baker |

Sep 20, 2025

Vikings OT Christian Darrisaw in 2021 — Dec 20, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) and Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw (71) celebrate after the touchdown in the second half against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports www.gotshotbyquinn.com

The Minnesota Vikings are battling early-season injuries at an unprecedented franchise clip, so all eyes turned to the Week 3 injury report on Friday.

The Minnesota Vikings dropped their Week 3 injury report on Friday, and the document was bittersweet for the meeting against the Bengals.

Minnesota will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday at noon CST, and the team is favored to win by two or three.

The final injury report featured a mixed bag, with key Vikings out and a few questionable.

Vikings Injury Report | Week 3

Minnesota will have a skeleton crew versus the Bengals.

J.J. McCarthy celebrates Michigan’s national championship win over Washington at NRG Stadium. — Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) celebrated a national title on Jan 8, 2024, after defeating the Washington Huskies in the College Football Playoff championship at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. McCarthy’s jubilant reaction symbolized Michigan’s triumphant finish to the season on college football’s biggest stage. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports.

J.J. McCarthy, Ryan Kelly Out

The Vikings ruled out QB1 J.J. McCarthy on Friday, along with the man who snaps the ball to him, center Ryan Kelly. They will not play against Cincinnati.

McCarthy played like a raw 22-year-old rookie in seven of his eight first quarters of NFL action, only saved in the court of public opinion by a masterful 4th Quarter showing in Week 1 when he led a 4th Quarter comeback against the Chicago Bears. His high ankle sprain — an injury that can linger — will keep him on the shelf for at least a week and perhaps longer. The who’s who at ESPN claimed the process could take two to four weeks.

Kelly, a newcomer to the Vikings, suffered a concussion on Sunday night, and although he returned to practice on Friday, he won’t play this weekend. Second-year center Michael Jurgens will take his spot.

Carson Wentz, a journeyman veteran who grew up cheering for the Vikings, will start at quarterback.

Vikings Wire‘s Chris Spooner noted on Kelly this week: “Kelly left the game in the first half and was evaluated for a concussion. Word came down as the second half started that Kelly had indeed suffered a concussion and will be out for the remainder of the game.”

“The effects of Kelly’s absence have already been felt for the Vikings, as there have been a handful of shaky snap exchanges between Kelly and McCarthy, and the offensive line has continued to struggle all night — struggles that aren’t going to get any better with yet another reserve lineman inserted into the lineup. For now, Kelly will be on the shelf for the remainder of the game and will go into the league’s concussion protocol.”

J.J. McCarthy and Ryan Kelly warm up for the Vikings before facing the Texans at U.S. Bank Stadium. — Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) and center Ryan Kelly (78) went through pregame warmups on Aug 9, 2025, at U.S. Bank Stadium before facing the Houston Texans. The duo took early reps together as Minnesota evaluated its new-look offense during preseason play, building cohesion in front of the home crowd. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.

Kelly missed seven games last season.

“Kelly will have to clear concussion protocol before he can come back to the team. Concussions can be tricky, and symptoms can linger potentially for weeks, so it will be a ‘wait-and-see’ game with Kelly for the Vikings’ Week 3 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, who are banged up heading into the matchup in their own right,” Spooner added.

Questionable: Darrisaw, Van Ginkel, Hitman

The statuses of McCarthy and Kelly are ironclad; they will not play.

Mysteries, however, surround left tackle Christian Darrisaw, outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, and safety Harrison Smith.

Darrisaw is still battling back from a torn ACL that he suffered in Week 8 of the 2024 campaign. He said this week that his body is near game-readiness and that he’ll know for sure when he can play. Some reporters called Darrisaw’s chances for playing this weekend “50/50.”

Andrew Van Ginkel in action for the Vikings against the Rams during the NFC Wild Card game. — Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (43) was active throughout the NFC Wild Card game against the Los Angeles Rams on Jan 13, 2025, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The veteran defender contributed energy and effort as Minnesota attempted to slow Los Angeles during postseason action. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.

Van Ginkel is exiting the NFL’s concussion protocol after suffering the head injury in Week 1 at the Chicago Bears. He seems somewhat likely to play against the Bengals, perhaps more than Darrisaw.

And Smith is nearing a comeback from a mystery ailment, only known as a personal matter. Some hints suggested that week Smith will play, but on a pitch count.

All men’s fate will be announced Sunday morning a couple of hours before the noon CST kickoff.

The Others

Justin Skule won’t play because of a — you guessed it — concussion. That happened on Sunday night, and Skule probably won’t be available until the European games. He started at left tackle in the first two contests of 2025 because of Darrisaw’s ACL.

Without Skule, and if Darrisaw can’t go, Minnesota would hand the LT job to Blake Brandel or Walter Rouse.