If the Minnesota Vikings want to repeat their Week 1 win over the Packers, they’ll have to do it shorthanded. They have already ruled out five players for Sunday’s game, including tight end TJ Hockenson and linebacker Blake Cashman.
Hockenson has yet to practice this week due to a combination of wrist and chest injuries. His absence will deprive the Vikings – and newly acquired quarterback Kirk Cousins – of one of their most productive receivers. Hockenson ranks first on the team with 35 catches and second in yards with 328. Although he only averages 9.4 yards per catch, he would have been a reliable and consistent help for Cousins as he settles back into his familiar environs of Minnesota.
Cashman, meanwhile, has been in concussion protocol all week. He leads the Vikings with 76 total tackles and is also a key part of the Vikings’ pressure system; his 4.5 sacks are second on the team, while his eight tackles for loss are tied for the team lead.
The Vikings also ruled out defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, wide receiver Jauan Jennings and quarterback Kyler Murray.
While Murray’s absence is basically irrelevant at this point, Ingram-Dawkins and Jennings are worth noting. Ingram-Dawkins has been a big part of the Vikings’ defensive line rotation, playing just a hair under 58 percent of the Vikings’ defensive snaps this year.
Jennings was more of a supporting player for the receiver-rich Vikings. Behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, Jennings had recorded just six catches in six games. But Addison also finds himself questionable for Sunday, putting the Vikings in a bit of a difficult situation with Jennings already ruled out.
(And there’s a reason Jennings had five catches for 61 yards against the Packers in the 2023 playoffs as a member of the San Francisco 49ers. I just assume that any random player who ever had a good game against the Packers has his number forever. It seems to work that way.)
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