The 5-0 Minnesota Vikings are gearing up for their biggest game of the season against division rival, the 4-1 Detroit Lions. Coming off a bye week, the Vikings are dealing with some injuries, but things are looking up as more players returned to practice today.
Surprises like Blake Cashman, Pat Jones, Harrison Phillips, and, of course, Aaron Jones, who isn’t exactly a surprise but is still listed as week-to-week, didn’t practice yesterday. However, almost all of them were back on the field for Thursday’s practice.
The injury report is the longest it’s been all year, which is surprising since the Vikings have been relatively healthy up until now, especially coming off a bye week. Injuries are just a part of the game, but today brought some positive updates.
Thursday's #Vikings injury report pic.twitter.com/HZqhXjlXWE
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 17, 2024
Blake Cashman, an important player on defense, has managed to stay healthy throughout the season. However, he’s recently been dealing with a toe issue that has sidelined him from practice all week. As a result, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that he’ll be able to play on Sunday against the Lions, which means Ivan Pace Jr. will take over the green dot responsibility.
Another player to watch on the injury report this week is Pat Jones, who ranks 7th in the league with 5 sacks. He’s been dealing with a shoulder injury and missed practice on Wednesday, but he managed to get in some limited work today. This is a positive sign as he aims to be ready for Sunday’s game. We’ll see if he can participate fully in practice tomorrow.
Starting running back Aaron Jones suffered an injury during the Week 5 Minnesota Vikings victory against the New York Jets. He didn’t practice yesterday but managed to do some limited work today. His status for Sunday’s game still remains uncertain, so we’ll have to wait and see what happens tomorrow.
Harrison Phillips, another crucial player on the defensive line, is dealing with a shoulder injury. Similar to Pat Jones, he missed practice yesterday but had a limited participation today, which is definitely a positive sign.
It’s exciting to see Dalton Risner back at Minnesota Vikings practice this week after missing the entire season so far due to a back injury. He might have the opportunity to step in and take over Ed Ingram’s spot on the offensive line this Sunday.
Tight end TJ Hockenson is also back at practice, having been returned since the Friday before the London game in Week 5. It’s looking promising for his return to be very soon, but he’s still participating in practice on a limited basis.
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