The Minnesota Vikings had some tremendous injury luck to start the season. As with most things luck related, that flipped on its head once the month of November came upon the team.
Every team has to deal with injuries and the Vikings got blitzed with them in mass. Christian Darrisaw, Dalvin Tomlinson, Cameron Dantzler, Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans have all missed games this month along with more lingering injuries to the rest of the roster.
Through the last few weeks, the Vikings have had to adjust their play to compensate for the injuries and they are better for it, having found more ways to win.
On Wednesday during his press availability, head coach Kevin O’Connell gave us updates on multiple Vikings with injuries.
Andrew Booth Jr.
As had been previously reported, Booth Jr. had surgery on his meniscus and would be out for the season. That was confirmed today by O’Connell.
“It was good to make sure we got that thing fixed and get him back on a path to returning as soon as possible.”
Coach provides an update on Andrew Booth Jr. pic.twitter.com/npeu7gQU4l
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) November 30, 2022
Christian Darrisaw
Darrisaw is a tricky one. After suffering a concussion in the second half against the Buffalo Bills, he suffered a second one against the Dallas Cowboys the next week. When you suffer two concussions in such a short time span, it’s a major cause for concern.
When speaking about Darrisaw, O’Connell had this to say.
“We want him feeling great and at full capacity when he’s able to come back. And not really putting a timetable on it for either this week or beyond. We just want to make sure he’s good. I think when the time’s right we’ll have CD back in there.”
Dalvin Tomlinson
In the third quarter of the Vikings’ game against the Washington Commanders, Tomlinson strained his calf. It turned into a multiple-week injury and that’s not a surprise.
Calf injuries by nature are notoriously slow and difficult to heal. They need time to heal and have a high likelihood of re-injury. O’Connell is confident that Tomlinson will be ready to play on Sunday afternoon against the New York Jets.
Akayleb Evans
Not only did Christian Darrisaw suffer a concussion against the Buffalo Bills, Evans did as well. Unlike Darrisaw, Evans has missed the last two games. He appears to be on the way to getting healthy at the right time. Cameron Dantzler is eligible to come off of injured reserve on Tuesday after week 13’s games and Booth Jr. is out for the season.
Like Tomlinson, O’Connell is confident that Evans will be ready to go on Sunday.
