The Vikings placed Blackmon (knee) on injured reserve Thursday. This move comes as no surprise, as Blackmon tore his ACL during Wednesday's practice and will now miss all of Minnesota's 2024 campaign. The USC product posted a solid rookie season in 2023, recording 41 total tackles and eight passes defended, including one interception, across 15 games. Expect Akayleb Evans, Andrew Booth and Jaylin Williams to see more first-team reps with Blackmon now officially out for the year.
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Status
IR - Knee - ACL - Surgery Expected Return: 2025-02-10Latest Mekhi Blackmon news
Other Vikings Players
Team
Minnesota Vikings
Birthdate
3/18/1999 (25)
Status
Injured Reserve
HT/WT
5'11", 178 lbs
Draft Info
2023: Rd 3; Pk (MIN)
Birthplace
Hayward, CA, USA
Position
CB
College
USC
Experience
2 seasons
Career History
Minnesota Vikings
2023-Present
(2 seasons)
The Vikings placed Blackmon (knee) on injured reserve Thursday. This move comes as no surprise, as Blackmon tore his ACL during Wednesday's practice and will now miss all of Minnesota's 2024 campaign. The USC product posted a solid rookie season in 2023, recording 41 total tackles and eight passes defended, including one interception, across 15 games. Expect Akayleb Evans, Andrew Booth and Jaylin Williams to see more first-team reps with Blackmon now officially out for the year.
Blackmon (knee) sustained a torn ACL in the first practice of Vikings training camp Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports. Blackmon sustained the injury during 7-on-7 drills Wednesday, and after staying on the ground for several minutes, he walked off the field and into the Vikings' facility with trainers. It's a brutal blow for Blackmon, who played in 15 games as a rookie in 2023 and was expected to play a larger role in Minnesota's secondary alongside Shaquill Griffin and Byron Murphy this season. With Blackmon sidelined, Akayleb Evans is set to see increased work with the first-team defense at corner during training camp, while Andrew Booth and Jaylin Williams should both see additional opportunities in the secondary.
Blackmon left Wednesday's training camp practice with a knee injury, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports. Blackmon limped off the field during 7-on-7 drills and was attended by medical officials before leaving for the locker room, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. It could be a significant blow for Blackmon, who missed the last two regular-season games last year due to a shoulder injury. The 2023 third-round pick out of USC finished his rookie season with 41 tackles (34 solo), eight passes defended and one interception across 15 regular-season contests, and he was set to see a larger role in the secondary this year alongside Byron Murphy (knee) and Shaquill Griffin. Akayleb Evans saw additional work with the first-team defense after Blackmon went down, per Will Ragatz of SI.com, and the former could see increased snaps if the latter is sidelined for an extended period of time.