Vikings Got a Bit of Good News on the Injury Front
In four days, the Minnesota Vikings will take on the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, the NFL’s very first regular season game in Ireland. And during that showdown, all signs point to the return of center Ryan Kelly.
The Minnesota Vikings dropped the first injury report of the week, and one morsel hinted that a key player will be back in Week 4.
The Vikings’ veteran center practiced fully on Wednesday, a strong signal that Kelly will be back in the starting lineup this weekend overseas.
It’s Good News on Vikings Center Ryan Kelly
Kelly missed Week 3 with a concussion.
Center Ryan Kelly Practices in Full
If Kelly were on deck to play in Week 4, this is precisely how the process would start — a full practice.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert tweeted Wednesday, “Six Vikings players didn’t practice today, perhaps most notably J.J. McCarthy. He wasn’t going to play this week anyway, but the countdown to his eventual return can’t start until he resumes practicing. Good news: Ryan Kelly was a full participant.”
Minnesota could still downgrade Kelly or limit his practice time this week, but that’s not usually how it works. The man is on his way back.
All Signs Point to Go-Time for Week 4
The typical recovery time for a concussion is nine days in the NFL from the time of injury to the return to the field. Kelly suffered the concussion on September 14th, and the meeting with the Steelers will transpire on September 28th.
The full practice points to Kelly’s momentum for Week 4, and it also fully aligns with NFL averages for concussion recoveries. For example, Andrew Van Ginkel suffered the same injury in Week 1, missed Week 2, and then played sparingly in Week 3.
The injury reports on Thursday and Friday will provide final clarity, but it’s a promising track for Kelly, one of the Vikings’ key free-agent additions during the offseason.
OL Inches Back to Full Health
Soon after the 2025 NFL Draft, Minnesota was scheduled to trot out a sweet new offensive line, featuring Christian Darrisaw, Donovan Jackson, Will Fries, Brian O’Neill — and Kelly.
That group has not played together at all, as Darrisaw returned from his ACL tear recovery last week, Kelly had the concussion in Week 2, and now Jackson is on the shelf with a bad wrist.
In Ireland, though, Minnesota should be down “only” Jackson, with Blake Brandel in line to start at left guard. If Jackson’s wrist injury recovery trends positively, Kevin O’Connell’s team should showcase its “death lineup” offensive line in Week 7 after the bye against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Rest of the Injury Report
In addition to Kelly’s status, Minnesota delivered an early-week verdict on other injured players:
- Did Not Practice: Jonathan Allen (DT, Rest Day)
- Did Not Practice: Javon Hargrave (DT, Chest)
- Did Not Practice: Donovan Jackson (LG, Wrist)
- Did Not Practice: J.J. McCarthy (QB, Ankle)
- Did Not Practice: Andrew Van Ginkel (OLB, Neck)
- Did Not Practice: Ben Yurosek (TE, Knee)
- Limited Practice: Josh Metellus (S, Foot)
- Full Practice: Ryan Kelly (C, Concussion)
- Full Practice: Jalen Redmond (DT, Hand)
- Full Practice: Justin Skule (OT, Concussion)
Kelly’s Chemistry with Carson Wentz
Our own Kyle Joudry noted this week that Kelly worked together with Carson Wentz in Indianapolis during the 2021 campaign.
He wrote, “Working alongside Mr. Wentz was Ryan Kelly, the center who would work with no shortage of passers while in Indianapolis. Kelly played in fourteen games that season, climbing up to 908 snaps on offense.”
“In other words, that’s more than 900 opportunities to build a rapport with Wentz, the quarterback who played in all seventeen games while picking up 1,091 snaps. In fact, the basic numbers for Wentz — a 62.4% completion rate, 3,563 yards, 27 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions — are quite strong.”
Wentz played the role of game manager last week en route to Minnesota’s thunderous 48-10 win over the then undefeated Cincinnati Bengals.
“The communication between the two should be crisp and so should the exchanges. Last week, Michael Jurgens did an admirable job of filling in. In all likelihood, the late-round center is going to be a backup in the coming seasons, but being able to elevate him for game action is a positive development,” Joudry added.
“A 7th-Round player who becomes a reliable C2 is a very nice selection from the GM. There has nevertheless been a drop off. Per PFF, Ryan Kelly is the NFL’s 3rd-best center, someone offering a sturdy 77.1 grade. Meanwhile, Jurgens finds himself at 36th … among the 36 under consideration. Jurgens sees his grade at 49.9.”
The Vikings will deliver a final verdict on Kelly’s game designation on Friday.
You must be logged in to post a comment.