A Minnesota Vikings third-round pick was notably absent during the 13-10 win over the New York Giants, and now fans have the reason.
After the game, head coach Kevin O’Connell said that safety Jakobe Thomas was held out of the game due to issues with his back.
“He’s been dealing with a little bit of back stiffness. We’re trying to see where he’s at for his ability to move forward,” said O’Connell.
“It’s better to be smart with it early on. He’s such a physical player we want to make sure he’s good to go. and when he is, we’ll be sure to get him back into the rotation a little bit.”
Jakobe Thomas Still Looking to Find Footing As a Rookie
The Vikings safety depth took a huge hit on Saturday when veteran Jamal Adams went down with what appears to be a significant knee injury. With the future of Harrison Smith still unknown, Thomas should be in line for some increased work when he gets healthy.
The Vikings snagged Thomas out of Miami in the third-round of this April’s draft, but the rookie has yet to make a big impact during camp. Minnesota has Joshua Metellus, Jay Ward and Theo Jackson all playing ahead of Thomas as of now, and it’ll be hard for the rookie to make up and distance while on the sidelines.
While the injury doesn’t appear to be too serious, O’Connell didn’t seem to imply that he’d be rushing his young safety back faster than he needs to. Most of the other Vikings rookies got some run during the game however, and there’s some hope that Thomas could be ready to suit up against the Baltimore Ravens next weekend.
Jamal Adams’ Injury ‘Not Good’ According to Kevin O’Connell
Meanwhile, O’Connell gave a more detailed update on the potentially serious Adams injury postgame.
“Jamal Adams’ initial exam does not look good. Don’t want to confirm anything till we see the imaging on that,” he said.
Adams went down on a non-contact play and was carted off the locker room. While the actual injury isn’t known yet, it’s clear that the team knows Adams’ season might be over.
“You’re just crushed for him, the role he was kind of paving for himself and just having a personality, experience, toughness that he brought in such a short amount of time. We’re going to miss him,” O’Connell said at halftime.
Adams had signed with the Vikings earlier this month after logging his first full season in years. Injuries have plagued him throughout his career, and now another one has derailed his 2026 season already. Now the Vikings attention will turn towards Smith, Thomas, or potentially another free agent signing as a replacement.
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