Vikings HC Gives Injury Update After Gritty 9-3 Win in Chicago

Attention now turns to Week 3 in Tampa Bay and the health of a few key pieces after head coach Kevin O’Connell’s Monday afternoon press conference.

Defensive tackle Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins left the Bears game with a hip injury. The 2025 fifth-round pick from Georgia had been a rotational contributor before exiting. First-round rookie Caleb Banks, the 18th overall selection out of Florida this past spring, stepped in and held up well in the role. Banks, a massive 6-foot-6, 327-pound interior presence, normally would play the nose tackle position.

O’Connell described Ingram-Dawkins as day-to-day. If the hip does not respond enough for him to start Sunday against the Buccaneers, Banks is the likely next man up. The rookie’s early-season opportunity would give Minnesota a chance to evaluate the high-upside prospect in a bigger package after he already showed he can handle an increased workload.

O’Connell also addressed Australian rookie punter Brett Thorson. The undrafted free agent from Georgia, who won the punting job in camp, woke up with hamstring soreness. The coach said the team was not certain when the issue first appeared and offered little additional detail. Thorson had been a bright spot in the field-position battle, and any limitation would force Minnesota to monitor the kicking game closely this week. Thorson beat out veteran punter Johnny Hekker who is still a free agent, and could be an option if Thorson couldn’t go Sunday.

The most encouraging update involved quarterback Kyler Murray. The veteran has cleared the final step of the concussion protocol after the hit that ended his Week 1 debut against Green Bay. O’Connell confirmed Murray will start Sunday in Tampa Bay. Carson Wentz steered the team through two wins in Murray’s absence, but Murray is now the starter again after being cleared to return.

I thought there may have been an update on Aaron Jones with the helmet-to-helmet hit, and KOC said he thought he was sore. I am guessing he is “ok” based on Jones staying in the game and performing well with 105 yards rushing. O’Connell would continue to say that Aaron Jones is a player “clearly we have a lot of confidence in, but want to be smart about it.” This was in reference to Aaron’s volume of carries reaching 23 attempts Sunday with Jordan Mason on IR. The Vikings want to stay away from overusing Jones and keep him as a viable weapon in the lineup.

The Vikings will have the evaluate Ingram-Dawkins’ hip, Thorson’s hamstring, and the usual maintenance for a 2-0 roster heading into a road game against a Buccaneers team that is 0-2 and needing a win.

A tough weather game is complete, and the Vikings largely came out of it unscathed on the depth chart. The next test is whether the Vikings can get healthy, or how they play without starters for another away game. Fortunately, there is time, and Minnesota has shown the ability to be deep enough for at least one week to weather the storm.