The NFL season is the ultimate grind in sports, and no team comes through it unscathed. Injuries are a part of the game and something that every team has to deal with to varying degrees during the season. The injuries are starting to mount for the Minnesota Vikings, but they got good positive news on Monday.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell told the press on Monday that wide receiver Jordan Addison, linebacker Ivan Pace, Jr., and edge rusher Dallas Turner are all day-to-day with their injuries, but the coach “sounded optimistic on all,” according to Minnesota Vikings beat reporter Alec Lewis.
All three players missed Sunday’s win over the Houston Texans, but the Vikings were able to get strong contributions from players in their absence. Wide receiver Jalen Nailor stepped up in the absence of Addison, catching three of his four targets for 31 yards and a touchdown.
Linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill was one of the studs of the week for the Vikings in place of Pace, notching a big interception, defending another pass, and making several nice open-field tackles. At the same time, free agent acquisition Jonathan Greenard had a huge day against his former team, notching three sacks on the day and ensuring the Vikings didn’t miss their first-round pick, Turner.
The Vikings got more good news on the injury front, as the team revealed that quarterback Sam Darnold suffered a bruised knee in the game on Sunday and avoided any structural damage. Darnold isn’t expected to miss any time with the injury and should be good to continue a season that could wind up being his career-best when all is said and done.