Vikings' roster moves ahead of Sunday raise cause for concern ahead of Week 14 vs. Falcons

Over the course of the last 13 weeks, the Minnesota Vikings have made a habit of maximizing their elevations from the practice squad. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah uses the practice squad to maximize the active roster each week. Ahead of Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons with Kirk Cousins returning to U.S. Bank Stadium for […]

Tyler Forness NFL & College Football News Writer
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Minnesota Vikings linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (43) celebrates his sack of Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis (8) during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024.
Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Over the course of the last 13 weeks, the Minnesota Vikings have made a habit of maximizing their elevations from the practice squad. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah uses the practice squad to maximize the active roster each week.

Ahead of Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons with Kirk Cousins returning to U.S. Bank Stadium for the first, Adofo-Mensah uses that to his advantage.

The Vikings activated kicker Will Reichard and long snapper Andrew DePaola from injured reserve and waived kicker Parker Romo to make room. The other move made by the Vikings raised some eyebrows.

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The Vikings also elevated outside linebacker Gabriel Murphy from the practice squad for Sunday's game.

Normally, it's not a big deal to see a singular player get elevated, but the injury report from Friday has things looking a little bit differently. Both Andrew Van Ginkel (thigh) and Pat Jones II (knee) were listed as questionable on the final injury report, which was somewhat concerning. Harrison Phillips was also on the injury report as a late addition and that just adds to the concern for the Vikings.

Assuming Murphy does suit up, which isn't a guarantee but very likely, it would be his first action in both a Vikings and NFL uniform. He would get his first opportunity to rush the passer, a skill that he was really good at at both UCLA and North Texas.

The game kicks off at noon on Sunday, December 8th.