Minnesota Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard took issue with a low block from Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft that injured teammate Pat Jones and has called on the NFL to ban this style of block.
During the Vikings’ 27-25 win over the Packers on December 29, Kraft used a cut block to stop Jones from advancing into the backfield in a play that knocked Jones out of the game with an injury to his right knee.
Greenard shared a video of the play to put Kraft and the NFL on notice.
“Pathetic. Be a man,” Greenard wrote on X (formerly Twitter) after the game. “Dude motioned from 30 yards away to STILL cut him… @NFC get rid of this block PLEASE.”
Kraft’s cut block is legal within the league’s current rules. However, there has been added pressure for the league to ban a similar style of tackle used against offensive players, including T.J. Hockenson who suffered a season-ending injury on a similar play last year.
After the game, head coach Kevin O’Connell said that Jones is expected to miss some time but the severity of the injury is still unknown.
“It’s a right knee injury,” O’Connell said. “Hopefully we avoided kind of a super long-term injury, but I won’t know much more than that until he gets fully evaluated. But expecting him probably to miss a little bit of time. Like I said, I don’t know what that looks like as of right now.”
Packers’ Tucker Kraft Called Out Lions’ Kerby Joseph for Similar Hit
The irony of Kraft’s cut block on Jones is that weeks earlier the Packers tight end called out Detroit Lions defensive back Kerby Joseph for putting offensive players at risk of injury with low hits.
Joseph was vilified for his low hits on Hockenson and Los Angeles Rams tight end Tyler Higbee, which caused injuries to both tight ends during the 2023 season.
Kraft called out Joseph for his low hits ahead of a December 5 matchup between the two NFC teams.
“I might not agree with some of the places he likes to lay contact. He’s taken some of my brothers out of the game, and I think about that, too,” Kraft said. “So if I get a chance to get my hands on him, you know, playing football.”
Kraft dodged a low hit from Joseph during the game but declined to comment further on the feud.
However, weeks later, Kraft, went low on Jones.
League rules state cut blocks are legal within a yard from the line of scrimmage. This distinction is to mitigate the force players are crashing into each other with, but Kraft being in motion defeats the intention behind the rule.
Vikings Expect to See More of Dallas Turner If Jones is Out
GettyVikings outside linebacker Pat Jones
The timing of Jones’ injury couldn’t be more unfortunate for the fourth-year player amid a breakout year. The Vikings will play for the NFC North division title and the top seed in the NFC this week in Detroit.
Hopefully, Jones can return in time for the postseason.
Until then, first-round rookie Dallas Turner, who logged his third sack last week against the Packers, should see more playing time behind Andrew Van Ginkel and Greenard.
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Vikings Star Slams Packers’ Tucker Kraft With 3 Words After ‘Pathetic’ Hit