When he was asked about Vikings standout defensive end Danielle Hunter playing and practicing this week, Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer gave fans optimism:
Zimmer said “I expect so. We’ll just have to see,” according to Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press.
Great for Vikings fans! So he’s playing, right? Well, Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks gave a quote to reporters later in the week that has become a cause for concern. Here’s what he said:
“It’s going to be hard to replace a guy like that but we have guys who are hungry and want to step up too,” he said, via Matthew Coller of Purple Insider.
Does that mean Hunter is certainly not playing? No, it doesn’t. As Coller pointed out, it’s hard to say whether Kendricks was speaking hypothetically about the potential for Hunter to miss the game or if Hunter will actually be out.
The injury report comes out later today. Until then, like Zimmer said earlier, we’ll just have to see.
If Hunter can’t go, expect a player like Ifeadi Odenigbo to step up. He has proven to be very capable as a pass rusher. Jalyn Holmes could be a nice option in run-stopping situations.