Vikings Injury News Is a Gut Punch
Adversity has struck the Minnesota Vikings, and its name is injury.
Injuries delivered a gut punch for the Vikings on Sunday as fresh setbacks hit the roster. Here’s what happened and the path forward.
Heading into Sunday night’s game against the Atlanta Falcons — which turned out to be a loss — the purple team already suffered too many injuries.
The list got longer for Week 3.
Injuries Rattle the Vikings
Last year’s good health is coming home to roost.
Aaron Jones — Hamstring
Jones has one knock on his resume in his nine-season career: injury history.
Remarkably, he played all 17 games in 2024, his first season as a Viking, even if he was hobbled down the stretch. Now, the score is evening, as Jones injured his hamstring on Sunday Night Football.
Jones has two strikes against him at the moment. Foremost, hamstrings can sideline a player for a minimum of a month. We shall see how severe Jones’ might be later this week. Second, he’ll turn 31 in December. Age is not on his side.
Without Jones, in theory, Minnesota would instantly promote Jordan Mason to RB1, whom some fans have been calling for at the spot for weeks.
Ryan Kelly — Concussion
The fancy new Garrett Bradbury replacement? Injured.
He hurt his toe last week versus the Bears, battled back to be ready for Week 2, and promptly suffered a concussion. The average time for a player to return for gameday with a concussion is nine days, casting Kelly’s availability into jeopardy for Week 3.
Gabriel Murphy — Knee
Murphy hurt his knee against Atlanta, which is vital news because Andrew Van Ginkel missed Week 2 with a concussion.
Van Ginkel should be back for Sunday’s tryst with the Joe Burrow-less Cincinnati Bengals, but if not, Minnesota could be down to breadcrumbs for EDGE defenders.
That obviously is not ideal.
Justin Skule — Concussion
The guy tabbed with manning Christian Darrisaw’s job was also concussed by the Falcons.
Skule hadn’t exactly set the world on fire in Darrisaw’s stead, but sans Skule — who will probably miss Week 3 — second-year tackle Walter Rouse would be the next man up. When Rouse entered Sunday night’s game, he promptly fired up a holding penalty as his first transaction.
Fans will cross their fingers that Darrisaw is good to go for the Bengals contest. His prognosis will remain a major Vikings storyline.
Added on Top of the Existing List
Jones, Kelly, Murphy, Skule — got all that?
That’s on top of these existing Vikings injuries and suspensions:
- Jordan Addison (WR, Suspension)
- Blake Cashman (LB)
- Ty Chandler (RB)
- Christian Darrisaw (LT)
- C.J. Ham (FB)
- Rondale Moore (WR)
- Jeff Okudah (CB)
- Harrison Smith (S)
- Andrew Van Ginkel (OLB)
That was basically the pre-Week-2 list that has since expanded.
More Injury Analysis
Our Janik Eckardt noted on Aaron Jones: “Running back Jones left with a hamstring injury. Those can be fine within a few days, but they can also sideline a player for weeks or months. Just last week, the Vikings placed linebacker Blake Cashman on IR with a hamstring issue, ruling him out for four games. If Jones’ injury is on the more severe side, Jordan Mason would once again be asked to carry the load, just like he was last year with the 49ers.”
And on Kelly: “Center Kelly is one of the most important pieces in the offensive puzzle. The seasoned veteran brings the experience J.J. McCarthy lacks, helps set protections, and is certainly a good blocker, too. However, when he signed, everyone pointed to his long injury history, filled with back and neck issues, as well as frequent concussions.”
“He left Sunday’s disaster game with a concussion, which is always concerning, but especially when it’s not the first one. His backup, Michael Jurgens, entered the game for the first time in his career, and he could very well be the man in front of McCarthy next week against the Cincinnati Bengals.”
The Vikings’ first injury report this week will likely be as ginormous as it is brutal.
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