Other Vikings injury updates: Aaron Jones, Christian Darrisaw, more

J.J. McCarthy's high-ankle sprain only adds to the Vikings' growing list of injuries to key players. Just two weeks into the season, they're dealing with all kinds of significant injury issues as they begin to prepare for their Week 3 game against the Bengals.

We've covered (and will continue to cover) the McCarthy injury and what it means. But it's also worth taking a look at the Vikings' other injured players and going over what Kevin O'Connell had to say in his Monday press conference.

RB Aaron Jones

Jones left the game in the second half with a hamstring injury. O'Connell said the Vikings are still evaluating it, but he's "likely to be down this week."

Part of the reason the Vikings traded for Jordan Mason was the knowledge that Jones is 30 years old and has dealt with various bumps and bruises throughout his career, even if he's mostly been durable. Mason has already out-snapped Jones in each of the first two games, and his snap share figures to spike in Week 3 as Minnesota's clear-cut RB1 for quarterback Carson Wentz. With Ty Chandler on IR, Zavier Scott is now the Vikings' RB2. They also have Xazavian Valladay on the practice squad.

It's not yet clear what the timeline looks like for Jones' return.

LT Christian Darrisaw

Darrisaw missed a second consecutive game to start the season as he finishes up his recovery process from last October's major knee injury. In Week 1, he was listed as questionable, but that was just so the Vikings could put him through a pregame workout at Soldier Field. He was never going to play in that game. In Week 2, he was ruled out in the final injury report on Friday.

If the Vikings thought Darrisaw was going to miss the first four games of the season, they could've put him on short-term injured reserve. That would seem to suggest he has a chance to play as soon as this week. Asked on Monday if he feels like Darrisaw is close, O'Connell gave an emphatic "yes."

"It's been a true day-to-day approach to it," O'Connell said. "He's doing everything he can."

The Vikings are sticking to their collaborative plan and focusing on doing what's best Darrisaw and his long-term outlook. The tricky part is that backup Justin Skule was struggling mightily in two games before he landed in the concussion protocol on Sunday night and was replaced by third-stringer Walter Rouse. They desperately need Darrisaw back for this upcoming stretch of games against elite AFC North pass rushers Trey Hendrickson, T.J. Watt, and Myles Garrett.

C Ryan Kelly

During Sunday night's game, Kelly and Skule joined Andrew Van Ginkel and Jeff Okudah in the concussion protocol. For Kelly, it's a bit more concerning given his history of concussions during his time with the Colts. O'Connell did say that there were "some positive early signs" on Monday, but added that it is "totally in the hands of the medical professionals as they work through the protocol."

"It is encouraging that he does feel positive and good today, from a standpoint of knowing that history," O'Connell added. "But like I said, my job is to have the best interest of the player and totally just allow the medical staff and our doctors and the independent doctors to guide where this thing goes."

If Kelly can't play this week, Michael Jurgens would be in line to start at center and snap the ball to Wentz. The 2024 seventh-round pick saw his first NFL action on Sunday night.

OLB Andrew Van Ginkel

Van Ginkel missed Sunday's game while in the concussion protocol, which was his first injury absence since he joined the Vikings prior to last season. O'Connell said they're "expecting some good news" on AVG and Okudah "with where they're at in the phase of the protocol, being able to begin their practice work and clear that last hurdle to hopefully be available this week."

Getting Van Ginkel back for Week 3 would be big. He's one of their most important defensive players.

S Harrison Smith

Smith has been ramping up after missing a big chunk of time due to a personal health matter, but he's been inactive for the first two games of the season. O'Connell said he expects Smith to practice on Wednesday, and they'll continue to evaluate him from there. The 14th-year veteran could make his season debut this week.

Others

Star pass rusher Jonathan Greenard is fine after having an injury scare involving his oblique. He only missed one play.
Second-year OLB Gabriel Murphy avoided a serious knee injury. The Vikings feared he had a significant MCL injury, so they were relieved to learn otherwise.
CB Jeff Okudah also seems likely to return from the concussion protocol this week.

At one point in the second half of Sunday's game, the Vikings were without 7 of their 22 projected starters coming into the season: Aaron Jones, Jordan Addison (suspension), Christian Darrisaw, Ryan Kelly, Andrew Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman (IR), and Harrison Smith. Now J.J. McCarthy can be added to that list. Even if some of those players might be back next Sunday, it's been rough so far.

"We're definitely dealing with some adversity right now, both through our performance but also the injury side of things," O'Connell said. "It's never ever gonna be an excuse. We've gotta find a way to have the next man up.

"That is the nature of our league, week in and week out. It's just hit us pretty significantly early on here, and we've just gotta work our way through it and try to weather the storm and play good football, regardless of who's in the game."