By all accounts, JJ McCarthy is off to a hot start. Others in the QB room, not so much. Other standouts early on include Josh Metellus, who has been participating fully so far, despite his ongoing contract negotiations.

Jalen Nailor, who seems to have a pretty tight grip around WR3, is looking bigger, faster and stronger than ever. Ivan Pace Jr returned a Sam Howell interception for a touchdown on day one of practice Wednesday and rookie Kobe King looks like he is on the fast track earning a 53-man roster spot.

But within all the hype surrounding JJ McCarthy and some of the new faces on defense, key staples of the Vikings’ regular season plan seem to get lost in the shuffle sometimes.

TJ Hockenson sitting on a sneaky big season for Minnesota Vikings?

In 2025, now fully recovered from the injury that kept him on the sidelines for the start of 2024, TJ Hockenson is another guy who seems to have had a very productive offseason, which included a visit and multi-day workout with his new redshirt rookie quarterback.

Early on at training camp, their budding relationship and increasing rapport seems to be showing up during practice, which has NFL Draft and fantasy football expert Thor Nystrom, along with the guys over at SKOR North, projecting sneaky big things for TJ Hockenson this season.

“I think my brethren in the fantasy football cottage industry, in that community, still have not woken up to what TJ Hockenson is going to do this year. It’s just such a good fit with him in this offense, with JJ McCarthy and McCarthy’s prerogative.

When you have TJ Hockenson out in the seam…all JJ needs you to do, let’s say it’s an inbreaking concept, you just have to get inside leverage, right? Like, if he can get inside leverage on a quick hitter, JJ’s going to get that ball there with heat rings coming off it right on the hands and you’re not going to fight through a guy like Hockenson.

Thor Nystrom – Purple Daily (SKOR North)

Related: JJ McCarthy Reveals New All-Time Favorite Teammate

Last season, TJ Hockenson played just 10 of the Minnesota Vikings’ 17 games. When he returned, he was not the same guy who caught 95 passes for nearly 1000 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2023. But if he really is feeling good, Hockenson is one of the league’s most productive tight ends, and still very much in his prime.

Why a Hockenson breakout makes sense

At 28 years-old, reports out of camp have Hock looking a lot more like his old self. And as Thor pointed out during the video above, JJ McCarthy had a history of success throwing to talented tight ends at Michigan, where in his final season, Colton Loveland caught 45 passes for 649 yards and 4 touchdowns for the Wolverines.

Healthy TJ Hockenson is a Top 3 TE in football pic.twitter.com/t1P0kzsr1a

— 𝙆𝙖𝙨𝙚 (@verysadvikings) June 18, 2025

And if opposing defenses aren’t going to give Hockenson the respect he deserves, expect McCarthy to give him the ball repeatedly, until they are forced to protect the middle of the field. And when they finally do… then you have one-on-one with Justin Jefferson and/or Jordan Addison on the outside.

Like you’re mentioning, [Hockenson has] the enormous frame, he’s a rugged guy, has the play strength, that’s a free completion [over the middle], and you’re going to see it over and over and over again.

And once the defense has to address the middle of the field because [they’re] getting paper cut to death, now we’re getting free one-on-one shots downtown to to one of the NFL’s best top two receiving cores.

Thor Nystrom – Purple Daily (SKOR North)

In theory, Thor is 100% correct, which goes back to the real luxury of this Minnesota Vikings offense. Between Jefferson, Addison, Hockenson, Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, JJ McCarthy has more elite weapons to help get him through his redshirt rookie season than just about any young quarterback to ever start a game in the NFL.

And the further along we get through camp, I have a feeling that our confidence in his ability to deliver, when needed, just like we saw him do over and over again at Michigan.

What can 2025 Vikings rookies expect from McCarthy during their three to four days together? Well, we saw last week that JJ is back up above his former playing weight, at about 215 pounds. We’ve also been told that the University of Michigan alum is 100% recovered from his season-ending meniscus surgery in 2024.

Minnesota Vikings tight end TJ Hockenson loves what he is seeing from JJ McCarthy

And if you believe what MN Vikings tight end TJ Hockenson told Chris Long on the Green Light Podcast, the ball is springing out of JJ McCarthy’s hands right now, in a way that reminds him of former teammate, and two-time Pro Bowler, Matthew Stafford. Currently QB1 of the Los Angeles Rams, Stafford and Hockenson both started their NFL careers together with the Detroit Lions.

#Vikings TE TJ Hockenson says JJ McCarthy’s throws remind him of Matt Stafford’s:

“I remember catching passes from Staff (Matt Stafford)… it zips on you, looks like it’s not coming, but it’s coming. JJ has the juice behind it where it kind of has that effect.”

🎥: @greenlight… pic.twitter.com/zHvJxmdopD

— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) May 6, 2025

“[JJ McCarthy]’s got a sick arm. I told him this the other day. I remember catching passes from [Matt Stafford], it was one of those balls that it just zips on you, you know? It looks like it’s not coming, but it’s coming. JJ’s got the juice behind it, where it kind of has that effect. It doesn’t look like it’s coming because of that tight spiral, but it’s coming.It’s humming in the air. He’s got an insane talent, arm talent. And really, the personality that he has goes really well and I think that he’s going to have a long career.”

TJ Hockenson – Green Light Podcast with Chris Long

Depending on where you look, there are a handful of different NFL quarterbacks who are seen as having one of the strongest arms in the NFL, and Matthew Stafford has been on that shortlist since the moment he entered the league.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Zeroing in on the NFL Draft They Want to Host

If that’s the QB who comes to mind when McCarthy is throwing TJ Hockenson passes, that’s an extremely good sign for Minnesota Vikings fans. Not only has Stafford been in the NFL for 16 years, but he is one of the most accomplished quarterbacks of this era, tossing for nearly 60,000 yards and 377 touchdowns.

We can only hope that McCarthy winds up being the type of NFL QB Stafford already is. But without a doubt, McCarthy’s teammates and coaches with the Minnesota Vikings clearly believe he is something special. Now, we just need to see him prove it on the field.

JJ McCarthy’s arm reportedly “reminds” TJ Hockenson (Vikings TE) of Matthew Stafford (Rams QB).

McCarthy is reportedly going to be in the “best football shape” of his career by training camp and is ready to take over as the QB1 in Minnesota.

Multiple NFL scouts reportedly… pic.twitter.com/KHecjVs0K9

— NFL Rookie Watch (@NFLRookieWatxh) May 6, 2025

The Vikings are now shifting their attention to the Green Bay Packers, their opponent this Sunday. A win would move Minnesota to 14-2 and set up a Week 18 showdown against the Detroit Lions with the NFC’s #1 seed on the line.

Minnesota Vikings Week 16 PFF Grades

We can’t overlook this game against the Seahawks. The Vikings went from leading by 10 to trailing by 4 late in the game, but they fought hard to keep their NFC North hopes alive. Here’s a look at the top performers for the Minnesota Vikings this week, as graded by PFF.

Top 5 Offense

• Justin Jefferson – 81.5 PFF Grade (64 snaps)
• Sam Darnold – 78.4 PFF Grade (66 snaps)
• Blake Brandel – 76.2 PFF Grade (66 snaps)
• Dalton Risner – 68.7 PFF Grade (66 snaps)
• Jordan Addison – 61.5 PFF Grade (59 snaps)

Justin Jefferson was the top offensive player in this game, and if you tuned in, it’s easy to see why. He racked up 10 catches for 144 yards and two touchdowns, completely dominating the Seahawks’ defense.

#Vikings continue to find answers against split-safety coverage vs. Justin Jefferson. On this one, the pre-snap motion creates inside leverage for Jefferson; Addison's deep route occupies the safeties and Darnold throws a strike on the move. 27-yard gain. pic.twitter.com/0kfgzhTF2J

— Ben Goessling (@BenGoessling) December 23, 2024

It’s also worth pointing out that two offensive linemen made the list as well. With such strong play up front, the offensive line has been a huge reason why Sam Darnold has found success all season.

Top 5 Defense

• Dallas Turner – 91.3 PFF Grade (16 snaps)
• Theo Jackson – 85.3 PFF Grade (20 snaps)
• Pat Jones – 80.4 PFF Grade (27 snaps)
• Josh Metellus – 77.9 PFF Grade (64 snaps)
• Shaquill Griffin – 75.3 PFF Grade (25 snaps)

Rookie Dallas Turner earned the highest grade on the team, but his performance came with some challenges. He only played 16 snaps, recording one interception. The Seahawks made it a point to challenge Turner, and he held up formidably.

When the rookie dropped into coverage, Geno Smith targeted his receiver four time, which resulted in three catches. Nonetheless, his INT still pushed his coverage grade all the way to 93.5 and three catches.

.@UnoErra snags it!

📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/wzbuV3yS8a

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 22, 2024

Josh Metellus stood out the most on the top 5 list, having the most impressive grade thanks to his workload. He played a whopping 64 snaps, racked up nine tackles, and even managed to apply some pressure on the quarterback with 4 total pressures.

Bottom 5 Offense

• Garrett Bradbury – 41.4 PFF Grade (66 snaps)
• Jalen Nailor – 50.8 PFF Grade (35 snaps)
• T.J. Hockenson – 52.2 PFF Grade (46 snaps)
• Cam Robinson – 55.2 PFF Grade (66 snaps)
• Aaron Jones – 55.7 PFF Grade (54 snaps)

It’s frustrating to see center Garrett Bradbury receive such a low grade this week. He really struggled with pass blocking, earning a 26.6 pass-blocking grade. His run-blocking grade wasn’t much better at 46.0, which contributed to his overall score of 41.1, the lowest on the team.

TJ Hockenson had a rough week, catching only 2 passes for 27 yards. He spent a lot of time on the line, earning a pass blocking grade of 18.1. However, he performed better in run blocking with a grade of 51.3. Hockenson will need to improve his play, as he’ll be a key piece for the team heading into the playoffs.

Bottom 5 Defense

• Bobby McCain – 52.3 PFF Grade (37 snaps)
• Blake Cashman – 55.1 PFF Grade (64 snaps)
• Jerry Tillery – 56.7 PFF Grade (23 snaps)
• Harrison Phillips – 57.3 PFF Grade (39 snaps)
• Stephon Gilmore – 58.8 PFF Grade (60 snaps)

Blake Cashman is definitely one of the most disappointing names on this list. The Vikings are 12-0 when he plays this season, which shows just how important he is to their defense. However, according to PFF, he struggled in his last game with tackling, earning a low grade of 31.9, which is why he’s ranked among the bottom five.

Related: Minnesota Vikings vs Green Bay Packers Flexed for Week 17

Bobby McCain had some big shoes to fill stepping in for Harrison Smith, and while he ended up with the lowest grade on defense, it’s worth cutting him some slack. This was the most playing time he’s had all season, and he had only appeared in two other games before Week 16.

The Minnesota Vikings continue to prove there worth

Riding an impressive 8-game winning streak into Week 17, the Vikings continue to prove why they’re 13-2 and one of the top teams in the league. Week in and week out, they show what it takes to stay at the top.

Even when key players like Blake Cashman and Garrett Bradbury have off games, there’s always someone ready to step up. Whether it’s rookie Dallas Turner or Blake Brandel, they’ve got the depth and resilience to keep pushing forward.

For this week’s home team, the biggest question is not at quarterback or at head coach. It’s on the injury report, which has yet to release for Wednesday. Less than 24 hours ago, the Minnesota Vikings traded for Jacksonville Jaguars offensive tackle Cam Robinson, to replace left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who was lost for the season, after tearing his ACL and MCL last week vs the LA Rams.

Kevin O’Connell gives the official green light on TJ Hockenson and Dalton Risner

But outside Darrisaw’s devastating departure, the injury skyline is looking brighter and brighter in Vikings land. On Wednesday afternoon, head coach Kevin O’Connell met with media members and gave updates on TJ Hockenson and Dalton Risner, two players coming off the Physically Unable to Perform list.

#Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell says TE T.J. Hockenson WILL NOT be on a snap count on Sunday against the @Colts.

O'Connell said he's healthy and ready to go. pic.twitter.com/H1YFfKjdwI

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) October 30, 2024

So, Hockenson will be active on Sunday. KOC was less committal on Risner’s status vs the Colts, however. the head coach confirmed that Dalton is 100% healthy, and that he will be in a Vikings uniform sooner, rather than later.

Related: NFL Trade Rumors: Another 2022 Vikings Draft Pick May be Exiled by Deadline

But O’Connell stopped short of confirming whether or not Dalton Risner will be active in week 9. Unlike Hockenson, Risner’s PUP practice window is not expired yet. Both players spent the first eight weeks of the season on the PUP list.

HC Kevin O'Connell said @Vikings G Dalton Risner is 100% healthy and "ready-to-roll".

He's hoping to get him up to speed this week and said "you're going to see Risner in a uniform sooner rather than later".

Risner must be activated by next Monday, Nov 04. pic.twitter.com/EaAZrrir7K

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) October 30, 2024

Not every injured Viking got the green light from KOC today, though. There was a lot of mystery surrounding Blake Cashman and his status for Sunday’s game vs the Colts, a game that was originally targeted as a likely return from his turf toe injury.

Minnesota Vikings less sure about Blake Cashman’s status vs Colts

On Tuesday, he refused an interview request from reporters in the Minnesota Vikings locker room and insider sources had gone from optimistic last week, to leaving text messages regarding Cashman on “read” this week.

Related: Vikings Reportedly Knew All Along They Were Never Activating TJ Hockenson Early

According to the Vikings head coach, during his press conference today, Cashman will have a full ‘individual’ workout on the sidelines, during practice Wednesday. How he responds to that workout will likely dictate his practice schedule and game day availability for the rest of the week.

The Minnesota Vikings injury report came out later in the afternoon. As promised, both Hockenson and Risner were full participants. Blake Cashman, unfortunately, was a DNP.

Wednesday's #Vikings injury report pic.twitter.com/xCatILnJLs

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 30, 2024

Vikings LB Blake Cashman (turf toe) is going to work on the side today during practice, per Kevin O'Connell, and then the team will determine whether he's ready to resume practicing and be in line to play Sunday night.

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) October 30, 2024

Most likely, the former Gopher needs to practice in some sort of fashion Thursday, if he has any chance to play on Sunday night vs the Indianapolis Colts. David Quessenberry and Taki Taimani were limited. Akayleb Evans, Hockenson, Risner, Theo Jackson and Josh Oliver were listed as “Full” participants.

But hey, it’s not all bad news, they’re now set to get a key offensive weapon back next week, which could give them a much-needed boost.

Minnesota Vikings TE TJ Hockenson set to return

After sitting out the first seven games this season thanks to an injury from last year, superstar tight end TJ Hockenson is finally back. He’s officially activated and ready to make his return in Week 9 against the Colts on Sunday Night Football.

Hockenson takes the roster spot of LT Christian Darrisaw, who suffered ACL and MCL injuries in Thursday night's loss to the #Rams. https://t.co/bbfK8HMLHt

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 25, 2024

TJ Hockenson’s sliding into Christian Darrisaw’s roster spot, which means they won’t have to cut anyone else, definitely a plus. But let’s be real, they’d probably rather have Darrisaw active and figure out the roster cuts another way. Still, this works for now.

TJ Hockenson’s heading into his third season with the Vikings, and he’s been a game-changer since he got here. Over the last two seasons, he’s stacked up 155 catches for 1,479 yards and found the end zone 8 times. Expect him to keep that momentum going and stay a huge part of the offense.

Related: Blind Ref Said What to Sam Darnold After No-Call Facemask Penalty Ended Vikings vs Rams…?

Hockenson just restructured his deal last month to give the Vikings some extra room in the budget. This shows he’s all in for the team. Plus, he’s locked in with Minnesota through the 2027-28 season, so fans can expect him to be a big part of the offense for a while.

Minnesota Vikings downgrade Hockenson, Risner to OUT vs LA Rams

Thursday afternoon at 3 PM, the Minnesota Vikings officially ruled their pro bowl tight end and pass block specialist at right guard OUT tonight vs the Rams. Both players were limited all week long, in practice, but it was believed they had a very good chance to make their season debuts. But when push came to shove, neither was elevated from their 21-day PUP practice window.

The #Vikings have elevated DL Jalen Redmond and TE Robert Tonyan to the active roster for tonight's game.

TE T.J. Hockenson and G Dalton Risner have both been downgraded to OUT.

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 24, 2024

Vikings showing extreme caution with TJ Hockenson

For Hockenson, this seems like a move of precaution. The game tonight will be played on artificial turf and the Vikings can give their very expensive tight end another two weeks to rehab his injury, if they sit him out tonight. Their next game is Sunday, November 3 vs the Indianapolis Colts.

Related: Wait… the Minnesota Vikings Eat How Many Uncrustables?

Friday (Oct 25) is the final day the Minnesota Vikings can activate Hockenson and put him on the active roster. Once a 21-day PUP practice window comes to an end, a player must be elevated or placed on season-ending injured reserve. Unless something crazy happens, he will be on the Vikings’ active roster tomorrow.

WTF is going on with Dalton Risner?

The decision to keep Dalton Risner’s practice window open doesn’t make as much sense. It’s been about a week since Risner stood in front of Vikings reporters and told them he was 100% and ready to play immediately. Three days later, vs the Lions, the 29-year-old five-year NFL vet was not active.

Related: The Adam Thielen to Minnesota Vikings Trade Rumors are Here

Now, just four days later, he’s inactive again. Dalton Risner’s window was triggered after Hockenson’s, so his 21-days is not up until November 4, after Minnesota’s next game vs the Colts. Does Risner have any trade value? That could be argued, but i’d be surprised if Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wouldn’t jump at the chance to move him, if given one.

More Minnesota Vikings pregame roster moves

While Hockenson and Risner were downgraded, the Minnesota Vikings elevated DL Jalen Redmond and TE Robert Tonyan to the active roster for Thursday Night Football. Redmond has seen some snaps for Brian Flores’ defense, when active (16 snaps). He will also play on the field goal block unit. Tonyan has 13 offensive snaps this season and 12 special teams snaps.

Final Minnesota Vikings injury report – Week 8 vs Rams

The Vikings are on a short week. Their injury report on Monday and Tuesday has been pretty packed, with a bunch of guys limited in practice. Linebacker Blake Cashman is about to miss his second game in a row. This isn’t exactly surprising since he hasn’t practiced at all the past two weeks.

The former Gopher has been dealing with a turf toe injury that he picked up during the Week 5 matchup against the New York Jets. Outside of Cashman, almost everyone is good to go for tomorrow night. The only question marks are two key players, whose status is still up in the air.

Final #MINvsLAR injury report

OUT: Blake Cashman

QUESTIONABLE: Akayleb Evans, T.J. Hockenson* and Dalton Risner*

*Returned to Practice – Currently within 21-day practice window pic.twitter.com/j9hOyq05Nj

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 23, 2024

T.J. Hockenson’s return is still up in the air, but he was expected to play, earlier this week. He’s questionable for the second straight week. His practice window ends on October 25, meaning Thursday is the final game he can miss,, without landing on long-term IR.

Star running back Aaron Jones is all set to go this week with no injury tag holding him back. He’s fully cleared, so expect him to be ready to roll come game time.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Insider Shuts Down Matthew Stafford Rumors

Dalton Risner, who’s also been out all season, is officially listed as questionable. He was a full participant in practice yesterday, though. That makes it more likely he’ll be available tomorrow night, though nothing’s set in stone. If he goes, we’ll see if he takes Ed Ingram’s job.

The Vikings have been struggling with some minor injuries among several players. Even though many of them played in the game against Detroit, they still ended up on Monday’s injury report.

Minnesota Vikings Monday injury report

The Minnesota Vikings didn’t have a real practice today; it was just a walkthrough. Still, they released their first injury report of the week, and it’s once again way longer than we’d like to see.

Monday's #Vikings injury report*

*The Vikings did not hold an official practice Monday and the injury statuses are an estimation pic.twitter.com/NjN6qKzbaG

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 21, 2024

The Vikings provided an update on their estimated injury statuses following today’s unofficial practice. It appears that LB Blake Cashman, who missed Sunday’s game against the Lions, is still not on the field.

This isn’t a promising sign with a game just a couple of days away. I wouldn’t count on him being ready by Thursday, but we’ll have to wait and see.

Related: Upcoming Minnesota Vikings Game Flexed to Prime Time

Star running back Aaron Jones left the game early in Week 5 but made a comeback for the Lions matchup in Week 7, playing the whole game. The Vikings listed him as limited today, but they’re likely just being cautious with him. Honestly, I wouldn’t stress about him missing any more time.

Pat Jones and Harrison Phillips both made the injury report last week and are back on it again this week. They were limited participants in practice toward the end of the week, but both still played on Sunday.

The Vikings seem to be playing it safe with these guys, but there’s probably no reason to stress about them missing Thursday’s game.

Will TJ Hockenson and Dalton Risner be back this week?

TE TJ Hockenson could make his return this week, but he was still technically limited during practice on Monday. The Vikings were close to having him ready last week but ultimately decided to hold him out. If he’s feeling good, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him back on the field by Thursday.

It’s also worth noting that Dalton Risner was listed as a full participant today, which puts him in a great position to start on Thursday night in place of Ed Ingram. This switch will definitely be an upgrade for the team.

Aaron Jones, TJ Hockenson and Dalton Risner were all questionable entering the weekend. And while neither Hock or Risner are mandated to come off the PUP list today, both guys made it clear earlier in the week that they thought it was possible.

Minnesota Vikings rule TJ Hockenson, Dalton Risner both OUT

But it didn’t happen. On Saturday afternoon, both Risner and Hockenson were ruled OUT for Sunday’s noon contest vs the Lions. Robert Tonyan has been signed to the roster, to add tight end depth vs TJ’s old team.

Related: Friday Minnesota Vikings Injury Report: Who’s In and Who’s Out vs Lions?

Meanwhile, Jones went from ‘oh god, how long is he going to be out’ just a few days ago, to a guy who is all set to be active and in the starting lineup tomorrow. And all of this coming off of a bye week. In other moves, the Vikings waived wide receiver Trishton Jackson and elevated two players off the practice squad.

Jalen Redmond, Bo Richter called up off the practice squad vs the Detroit Lions

One of those practice squad call-ups is DL Jalen Redmond, who was waived and then signed back to the practice squad earlier this week. EDGE Bo Richter, who has been a regular practice squad elevation over the first five games, will also be active.

The #Vikings have announced the following roster moves

– Signed TE Robert Tonyan to the 53-man roster

– Waived WR Trishton Jackson

– Elevated DL Jalen Redmond and OLB Bo Richter to the active roster for tomorrow's game

– Downgraded TE T.J. Hockenson and G Dalton Risner to OUT pic.twitter.com/BfPeWTW6uz

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 19, 2024

TJ Hockenson’s new status for Sunday is not a surprise. Local and national insiders have both had him all but ruled out this entire week. Again, this all points to injury report gamesmanship, which the NFL is trying to get rid of.

Lots of things to watch after today’s roster moves

Clearly, the Minnesota Vikings knew that TJ Hockenson wasn’t going to play vs the Lions. Somebody was feeding that information to every insider who hit the pager button. Yet, he was listed all week as “limited” in practice and then hit the final Friday injury report as “Questionable”.

Related: Former Minnesota Vikings EDGE Welcomes Revenge Factor NFC North Trade Rumors

What’s also worth monitoring is the situation with Dalton Risner. Earlier this week, the 29-year-old former Bronco made it very clear that he was 100% healthy and ready to go. Not only that, but he stated multiple times while interviewing with media that he’s been ready to go.

"I'm comfortable at right and left, whatever guard position it is, truly whatever position they want me to play I'm ready to go."

– #Vikings Guard Dalton Risner

📽️ @Vikings pic.twitter.com/xyyRdtALHa

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) October 15, 2024

It almost sounded like he was trying to secretly report a hostage situation. Yet, when today’s status report dropped… Risner was listed as OUT. Why?

That’s something we will have to wait to get the answer on, but if Dalton Risner isn’t injured anymore then why isn’t he being activated. There’s no doubt he has to be unhappy with today’s roster announcement. And don’t forget… the trade deadline is just a few weeks away.

Actives/Inactives: Minnesota Vikings final injury report vs Detroit Lions

The Minnesota Vikings final injury report was released on Friday, but changes have already been made since. The Active/Inactive report just released. Here is who is in and out vs the Detroit Lions.

Blake Cashman and Akayleb Evans were officially ruled out on Friday, after not practicing during the week. Losing Cashman is a tough hit for the Minnesota Vikings defense, especially since he’s been playing pretty well this season.

Related: 4 Stats to Know for Detroit Lions vs Minnesota Vikings Matchup, Analyzing Impact

Who’s in, who’s out for the Minnesota Vikings

However, this opens the door for second-year standout Ivan Pace Jr., who will now take over the green dot responsibilities, meaning he will have Brian Flores in his helmet, and be tasked with relaying his calls to teammates.

T.J. Hockenson was listed as questionable on Friday, but both he and Dalton Risner were ruled out on Saturday, among a flurry of Vikings roster moves. Nonetheless, he is getting close to making his comeback and is expected to play on Thursday night vs the LA Rams.

Related: Is Ty Chandler About to Lose His RB2 Spot for the Minnesota Vikings?

Star running back Aaron Jones was also listed as questionable, earlier in the week. He is active and will play vs the Lions. Pat Jones and Harrison Phillips, two important players on the defensive line, are also active. Given Detroit’s success on the ground, this season, the Vikings need Harrison Phillips on the field.

Dalton Risner was a surprise inactive, when the Minnesota Vikings broke that news on Saturday. Nonetheless, starting RG Ed Ingram is reportedly on a short leash. Risner appeared fired up earlier in the week and ready to play, calling himself 100% and saying that he has been able to play for weeks. Instead, he’s inactive again.