Minnesota Vikings Injury Woes Continue

I’ve never seen a Minnesota Vikings season quite like this one. Injuries have been the season’s theme. It started with Justin Jefferson’s strained hamstring, ran through Kirk Cousins’ torn Achilles, and Jordan Hicks’ thigh bruise that turned into compartment syndrome that required immediate surgery. Yesterday brought news that T.J. Hockenson tore his ACL and MCL and D.J. Wonnum tore his quadriceps tendon during Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions. Both will undergo season-ending surgery and be placed on injured reserve. They’ll have plenty of company. 

Jordan Addison and Mekhi Blackmon also left the Lions game with ankle and shoulder injuries respectively. Both are considered day-to-day as the Vikings prepare for their Week 16 game against the Green Bay Packers.

10 Players currently populate the Vikings injured reserve list.

Kirk Cousins

T.J. Hockenson

Cam Akers

Marcus Davenport

D.J. Wonnum

Malik Knowles

William Kwenkeu

Dean Lowry

James Lynch

Olisaemeka Udoh

Justin Jefferson and Jordan Hicks had stints on injured reserve. Jefferson missed nearly two months. Hicks missed about a month. 

Another group of players have missed games with injuries that didn’t require stays on injured reserve.

Christian Darrisaw

Brian O’Neill

Garrett Bradbury

Alexander Mattison

Byron Murphy Jr.

Akayleb Evans

Right guard Ed Ingram is the only offensive lineman to play every game. With Hockenson now heading to injured reserve, Ingram, Ty Chandler, and Jordan Addison are the only offensive regulars that have played every game. Addison’s availability for the Packers game is now a question. Other than the safety position and Danielle Hunter, the players available at all levels of the defense has varied weekly. I don’t think that the Vikings have played a single game this season with every player that tops their respective depth charts. 

Injuries will always be an unfortunate part of football. What the Vikings have been through this season is beyond that. It’s remarkable that they have still managed to be in to the end of every game. Every loss has been by a single score. Without the injuries, especially the injury to Cousins, the Vikings would probably have a record as sparkling as 11-4. Unfortunately, that’s a fantasy. The injuries have been an unfortunate part of this frustrating season. Somehow, with two games to go, the Vikings remain in the chase for a spot in the playoffs.