Kevin O'Connell, Minnesota Vikings
Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
We are now just four days away from the Minnesota Vikings kicking off their regular season against the Chicago Bears. The Week 1 matchup is a primetime tilt on Monday Night Football.
J.J. McCarthy is locked and loaded under center as the new starting quarterback. Sam Darnold is gone and Kevin O’Connell’s team is ready to usher in a new era,
This team has Super Bowl aspirations and there are plenty that believe they’ll get there. For that to happen though, they’ll need to be healthy and have veterans ready to go on a weekly basis.
Murky first injury report for Minnesota Vikings
Earlier this week head coach Kevin O’Connell said that all of his roster participated in the weekly walkthrough. That seemed to bode well for Week 1 availability. The first injury report suggests otherwise.
The #Vikings first injury report of the 2025 season pic.twitter.com/mZmPqZzE3y
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 4, 2025
The expected names are on the injury report. Unfortunately they don’t all have the expected designations. Christian Darrisaw, JJ. McCarthy’s blindside bookend, was not a participant. He’s coming back from a season-ending knee surgery. While the goal is for him to be healthy during the duration and at the end of the year, the expectation is that he will be ready for Week 1.
Jalen Nailor underwent a surgical procedure just a week ago. His hand injury was not expected to be serious and Minnesota has been banking on him for Week 1. Adam Thielen has supplanted him on the depth chart, but the offense still needs him while Jordan Addison serves a suspension.
Both Harrison Smith and Andrew Van Ginkel have been no-shows for practice over the past handful of weeks. Each is a veteran starter that Brian Flores is relying on to anchor his defense. O’Connell made it sound as though each player would be ready for Monday night. Van Ginkel got in a full practice to substantiate that. Smith and his mysterious illness remains on the sidelines.
What exactly is ailing Smith remains away from public reporting. He apparently is dealing with the worst “illness” in recent human history, but the hope would be that he can make a miraculous recovery in the coming days.
Related: MN Vikings First Depth Chart Reveals Some Answers, More Questions
Zavier Scott was a candidate to bump Ty Chandler from the roster entirely. His late preseason ankle malady is still nagging him, and he finds himself buried on the depth chart as a result of that.
The Vikings will have additional injury reports published as a lead up to their first game. With Van Ginkel in the clear, it’s Darrisaw and Smith who now must match his intensity.
Mentioned in this article: Andrew Van Ginkel Christian Darrisaw Harrison Smith Injury Report More About:Minnesota Vikings