Vikings Final Injury Report Delivers One Tough Blow
The Minnesota Vikings certainly won’t be full strength in Ireland — or anywhere close to it — particularly after the team announced Friday that outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel won’t play.
The Minnesota Vikings released their final injury report ahead of Week 4 on Friday, and one item especially took the cake — in a bad way.
Van Ginkel will nurse a neck injury in Week 4, hoping to hit the field next weekend in England.
Here’s the full injury report fallout.
Vikings Injury Report | Week 4
It’s a no-go on Van Ginkel and others.
Andrew Van Ginkel Out with Neck Injury
Minnesota’s defense will be down two starting linebackers in Ireland: on the outside without Van Ginkel and the inside with Blake Cashman, who is two games into an injured reserve trip.
SI.com‘s Joe Nelson on Friday: “Andrew Van Ginkel has been ruled out for Sunday’s Week 4 game in Dublin between the Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers.”
“Van Ginkel hasn’t practiced this week due to a neck injury. It’s unclear when he suffered the injury, but he showed up on Minnesota’s first injury report on Wednesday after playing in Minnesota’s 48-10 win over the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday.”
Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers won’t have to worry about a pick-six — sometimes called a “Gink-Six” — which beset him in London last year when his former team, the New York Jets, lost to Minnesota on the back of a Gink-Six.
Steelers Depot‘s Tom Jaggi on Pittsburgh facing a Van Ginkel-less Vikings: “Van Ginkel, a veteran pass rusher who played his first five seasons with the Miami Dolphins, is coming off a Pr Bowl season in his first year with the Vikings in 2024. In 17 games last season, Van Ginkel racked up 79 tackles, 18 tackles for a loss, 11.5 sacks, six pass deflections, two interceptions, and two defensive touchdowns. On paper, Van Ginkel was more productive than Steelers star T.J. Watt last season.”
“Van Ginkel is one of Minnesota’s best players, so his inability to suit up again this week is a major blow to the Vikings’ defense. Van Ginkel is coming off a game in which he somehow managed to record two sacks on just eight defensive snaps before leaving last week’s contest early with a neck injury. The veteran pass rusher is one of the best splash playmakers at the edge rusher position in the NFL, and he’s capable of wrecking the game on a moment’s notice.”
J.J. McCarthy Out, a Formality
Minnesota will also be without McCarthy in Week 4. That Friday designation didn’t involve much mystery, as head coach Kevin O’Connell announced after last Sunday’s win that Carson Wentz would start for a second consecutive game in Dublin.
NBC Sports‘ Myles Simmons wrote, “While it was expected, Carson Wentz is officially set to make his second consecutive start at quarterback for the Vikings. Head coach Kevin O’Connell formally ruled out J.J. McCarthy for Sunday’s game against the Steelers in Dublin in his Friday press conference. McCarthy is dealing with an ankle injury.”
“O’Connell told reporters earlier this week that “can’t cut corners” when it comes to McCarthy’s recovery. Wentz completed 14-of-20 passes for 173 yards with two touchdowns in last week’s blowout win over Cincinnati.”
McCarthy will now miss the first 19 games in his career of a possible 21. Less than ideal. When he gets healthy soon, he must stay healthy.
No Donovan Jackson or Ben Yurosek
Rookie left guard Donovan Jackson underwent a surprise surgery on Monday in Los Angeles for an ailing wrist.
The news came out of left field because Jackson played quite well in Week 3, and there weren’t really any hints of an injury. Nevertheless, Jackson is on the shelf for the next couple of games, probably until after the Week 6 bye. Minnesota will host the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 7, and Jackson could return to the starting lineup for that mighty showdown.
Rookie tight end Ben Yurosek is also on the shelf, meaning T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, and presumably veteran Nick Vannett will hold down the TE room.
Who’s In?
Two notable players started the week with a questionable injury status: center Ryan Kelly and defensive tackle Javon Hargrave.
Kelly suffered a concussion in Week 2, cancelling his participation in Week 3. Second-year center Michael Jurgens filled in for Kelly and performed decently. Hargrave was banged up during the win over Cincinnati, a chest injury. He didn’t practice Wednesday but worked his way through the week and is a full go for Ireland.
And here’s the running list of players on injured reserve of the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list:
- Aaron Jones (RB)
- Blake Cashman (LB)
- C.J. Ham (FB)
- Gavin Bartholomew (TE)
- Matt Nelson (OT)
- Rondale Moore (WR)
- Tyler Batty (OLB)
- Ty Chandler (RB)
- Zeke Correll (C)
Cashman, notably, may return as early as Week 7 against the Philadelphia Eagles.
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