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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Adam Thielen suffered an ankle injury that held him out of most of the Vikings’ 29-27 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday.
With only four days to recover before Minnesota hosts the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football, Thielen being active for this week’s game was a long shot.
He was ruled out for Thursday’s matchup, per a team injury report on Wednesday.
However, Thielen appears to have dodged a more serious injury.
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Thielen Avoids Season-Ending Surgery
When Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer told local media that Thielen would undergo an MRI on Monday, there was a strong suspicion that the star receiver’s ankle injury was severe.
To Thielen’s fortune, the MRI revealed he won’t need surgery, per Star Tribune reporter Ben Goessling.
“Some good news for the #Vikings on Adam Thielen’s high ankle sprain: A MRI showed he won’t need surgery, according to a source,” Goessling tweeted on Tuesday. “Thielen should have a chance to return yet this season.”
After learning Thielen would undergo an MRI, Fantasy Doctor’s Jesse Morse, a licensed physician, projected Thielen to miss at least three weeks and that his injury is “potentially season-ending.”
Thielen’s recovery will likely be day-to-day, but a three-game absence would slate his return for Minnesota’s penultimate regular-season game — a road matchup with the Green Bay Packers on Jan. 2.
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Osborn Ready to Step Up
Second-year Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn, a fifth-round pick out of Miami, has stepped up admirably after a disappointing rookie season.
Osborn stepped up in Thielen’s stead on Sunday, catching four of seven targets for 47 yards and a clutch touchdown in the fourth quarter.
When asked whether Osborn stepped in as a one-to-one replacement for Thielen, taking on the star receiver’s role in the gameplan, quarterback Kirk Cousins credited Osborn with taking on that responsibility.
Pretty much,” Cousins said of Osborn taking over Thielen’s role. “I think Dede Westbrook jumps in and takes a little bit from time to time. Dan Chisena hopped in, But it really is KJ. He’s shown so much to us all season long, all of training camp, all offseason. I do have a lot of confidence in what he can bring us, even if his role gets amended or changed or if he’s in a different position, which is a big help.”
After not logging a single catch his rookie year, Osborn has become a true third wide receiver in the Vikings offense. He’s caught 35 of 54 targets for 412 yards and three touchdowns, including an overtime walk-off TD against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6.
With Osborn and the receiving core stepping up in Thielen’s place, Cousins applauded the group for their synergy and knowing each other’s roles.
“It says a lot about (Osborn) to study and know what to do. It says a lot about coach McCardell and the whole receiver room. Even mentally for me, I was on the sideline asking ‘Okay, who’s playing what? who should I be looking at for this motion?” Cousins said, referring to the on-the-fly changes during the Lions game. “Even for me, there was some mental gymnastics there and I was impressed with how they handled it.
“You appreciate having a KJ Osborn when Adam goes down. You always know it’s a play away, but when it happens, and you know you have somebody who can answer the call, it’s a great sense of comfort at my position.”
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