Good News on Key Minnesota Vikings Injuries

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Kevin O'Connell - Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Vikings

There’s an odd sense of cautious optimism in the air at TCO Performance Center this week, as the Minnesota Vikings get set to debut a new (veteran) quarterback, in Carson Wentz, at home against the Cincinnati Bengals.

They won’t be alone, however, after star quarterback Joe Burrow suffered a significant turf toe injury in week 2, forcing head coach Zac Taylor to name 29-year-old former Viking, Jake Browning, as the Bengals’ starter.

We know one thing for sure. the MN Vikings will not be sleeping on the Bengals’ emergency starter, not after his “you never should have fu****g cut me” sideline tirade in Cinci, back in 2023.

Of course, it won’t matter who is playing quarterback in Minnesota this weekend, if the Vikings cannot get healthier between now and noon on Sunday.

Because, not only did Kevin O’Connell & Co. leave U.S. Bank Stadium in week two with their first loss of the season, but they also collected a host of new injuries, adding to an already growing healthy problem in Eagan.

MN Vikings injury report still way too long…

Wednesday afternoon, on the first injury report of the week, Minnesota listed 12 players as dealing with some sort of injury or ailment. JJ McCarthy (DNP – Ankle) was among them, after the Vikings chose not to place him on injured reserve, lending to the idea that he could return prior to their week six bye.

Other starters included Jonathan Greenard (Oblique), Donovan Jackson (Wrist), Andrew Van Ginkel (Concussion) and Harrison Smith (Illness), among others, as “limited”. O-linemen Ryan Kelly (Concussion) and Justin Skule (Concussion) were both listed as DNP, along with McCarthy. Christian Darrisaw and Jeff Okudah were also on the injury report, but practiced in full.

From the sounds of it, Greenard, Jackson and Van Ginkel are likely to play on Sunday, as is Jeff Okudah, who would return after missing week two. But for the past three weeks now, all eyes have been on the aforementioned Christian Darrisaw and Harrison Smith, neither of which have played a snap yet in 2025.

When Minnesota Vikings fans went to bed on Wednesday night, the last we heard about both players came from head coach Kevin O’Connell, when he spoke during his afternoon press conference earlier in the day. At that time, Smith was trending toward playing, while Darrisaw’s status was still very much in question.

NFL insider brings good news on Minnesota Vikings injury front

On Thursday morning however, NFL Network insider, Tom Pelissero, brought more good news on KFAN Radio’s Power Trip Morning Show, where the “one of us” media star confirmed positive reports on Harry the Hitman.

Then, he went on to report by far the most positive injury update in weeks, regarding Minnesota’s All-Pro caliber left tackle, Christian Darrisaw — see transcript below video, if needed.

Ben Leber: “[Christian] Darrisaw was a full participant on the injury report yesterday. What’s your percentage that he actually plays in this game and starts this game on on Sunday noon?”

Pelissero: “Well, certainly it’s the highest it’s been when you’re a full participant on Wednesday. Unless he has a setback, like it’s all about experimenting, right? Give him a little bit more, see how the knee responds. Unless it blows up on him, or he’s got some type of a setback, it seems like it’s trending toward Darrisaw playing on Sunday…It also seems like this is potentially the week for [Harrison Smith] to get back.

Tom Pelissero – KFAN Radio

I mean, there really isn’t better news that Tom Pelissero could have hit the Twin Cities airwaves with early this morning than what he did. With the Minnesota Vikings now down to their third-string left tackle, there is no position on roster where they are more desperate to get a starter back, than there.

Harrison Smith, Christian Darrisaw could have played already…?

But dot.com Tom went even further, noting that both Darrisaw and Smith could have played in weeks one and two, had there been more at stake in those matchups (ie: a playoff or must-win game, as the trusted NFL insider (who still lives in Minnesota) put it on the Power Trip Morning Show.

And really, Darrisaw could have played week one. Like, don’t don’t get it twisted. There were no setbacks. It wasn’t as if things weren’t going well in practice. He wasn’t getting the full load in practice. But if they had said, “Hey, you know, this is a playoff game, or this is a must-win game, Darrisaw could have been out there.

They’re just trying to be really smart with when they’re putting guys onto the field. It seems like these extra couple of weeks he’s got more comfortable. He’s been able to take more reps. This potentially could be the week for Darrisaw to get back on the field.”

[Harrison Smith] is another guy, who if they really really needed him, they probably could have pushed him out there. I don’t know that if he’s going to get a full workload in week three. I know Harrison, once he gets on the field, is going to want to play 70 snaps. But I do anticipate that, you know, barring some type of a setback here. We may see him out there, too.”

Tom Pelissero – KFAN Radio

Let’s be frank. Between weeks one and two of the 2025 NFL season, our Minnesota Vikings went from bad to worse. Thankfully, they’ve emerged with a 1-1 record, in large part due to the Bears being the same old Bears last Monday night, with the whole football world watching.

Had Caleb Williams & Co. not crumbled in the fourth quarter week one, which allowed JJ McCarthy to lead one of the most memorable comebacks in Vikings franchise history, panic in Minnesota would be at record levels, entering week three.

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