All Eyes Turn to New Injury for Vikings

Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.

First, it was T.J. Hockenson. He tore his ACL last December and missed the Minnesota Vikings’ first seven games of the 2024 regular season.

All Eyes Turn to New Injury for Vikings

Then it was Mekhi Blackmon, who also tore his ACL and won’t play at all in 2024. Then J.J. McCarthy. Done for the year. Christian Darrisaw after that. He ain’t coming back. Kicker Will Reichard hit injured reserve. So has linebacker Ivan Pace Jr.

John Jones-Imagn Images.

That’s the state of injury play for the 2024 Vikings, and in a less severe fashion, cornerback Stephon Gilmore joined the list of maladies on Sunday. He injured his hamstring in a win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Hamstring injuries tend to loiter, but according to head coach Kevin O’Connell, via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Gilmore appears to have dogged a major bullet. The veteran defensive back could miss a game(s), but he doesn’t sound like an automatic IR trip like Blackmon, McCarthy, Darrisaw, Reichard, and Pace Jr.

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images.

Seifert tweeted Sunday, “Kevin O’Connell said he is hoping the Vikings avoided a longer-term hamstring injury for CB Stephon Gilmore by holding him out after he suffered it.”

Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling added, “Kevin O’Connell said Stephon Gilmore was thinking about coming back in, but the Vikings kept him out with his left hamstring injury. He’s hopeful Gilmore won’t be out long. Right knee injury for Pat Jones II, who returned.”

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.

So, for context, perhaps Gilmore could’ve returned to the win over Arizona if it occurred in the postseason, but to be safe, O’Connell erred on the side of caution.

After Gilmore’s hamstring injury, Minnesota inserted fellow veteran corner Fabian Moreau into the lineup — and he was promptly exposed to the tune of two pass interference infractions and a touchdown by rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr.

New Minnesota cornerback Stephon Gilmore on August 19th at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota. The five-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion joined the Vikings’ roster in August 2024.

Adding Gilmore in the summer instantly tamed folks’ fears about Minnesota’s cornerback room. The group was decimated by tragedy and turmoil with Khyree Jackson’s tragic passing and Mekhi Blackmon’s torn ACL. When Gilmore arrived, however, fans rested easy knowing his veteran presence could steady the ship.

And Gilmore had done precisely that. He’s logged Pro Football Focus grades over 75.0 in back-to-back games and has generally served as one of the most dependable cornerbacks throughout the 2024 campaign. Gilmore even ripped off a pass from Aaron Rodgers back in Week 5 to seal Minnesota’s win over the New York Jets.

Gilmore should be just fine, but folks will monitor this week’s injury report because hamstring injuries have a notorious reputation for lingering.

He turned 34 six weeks ago.

Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis, and opinion on all things related to the purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA as closely as the NFL. 

All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.