Vikings final injury report gives worrisome update ahead of home opener vs. Falcons
It’s a tough pill for the Vikings to swallow
The Minnesota Vikings are in a tough spot when it comes to injuries going into their home opener against the Atlanta Falcons. They will likely end up playing a big factor for the Vikings, but the hope is they have the players who can step up.
After a very extensive injury report at the beginning of the week, head coach Kevin O’Connell announced the players entering Sunday’s game with a designation, including three players who will miss the game.
| Player | Injury | Status |
| CB Jeff Okudah | Concussion | Out |
| EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel | Concussion | Out |
| LT Christian Darrisaw | Knee | Out |
| S Harrison Smith | Illness | Questionable |
Christian Darrisaw headlines player out vs. Falcons
It’s a tough one for the Vikings. We essentially knew that both Okudah and Van Ginkel would miss the game since it’s very difficult to come back from a concussion in a week, let alone a short one in six days. The one good thing for the Vikings is this will give second-year edge rusher Dallas Turner a bigger opportunity to play. The organization views him as a third starting edge rusher, and he’s going to play start level snaps.
The big thing for the Vikings is not having Darrisaw. He was questionable going into Monday night and worked out pregame ahead of Monday night’s game against the Bears. He also worked out during practice all week in at least a limited capacity, but still isn’t ready to return. Why is that? He’s over 10 months removed from surgery on his torn ACL. Why is he missing the first two games? How much extra damage was there to the knee? T.J. Hockenson returned after nine months after his torn ACL, which raises more questions.
Having center Ryan Kelly and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers off the report is good news for the Vikings. As for the Falcons, they will have wide receiver Drake London on Sunday, along with wide receiver Darnell Mooney returning from his shoulder injury.
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