Vikings Cornerback Cameron Dantzler Misses Practice Wednesday With Rib Injury
Vikings rookie cornerback Cameron Dantzler missed Wednesday's practice with a rib injury, calling into question his status ahead of Sunday's Week 2 game against the Indianapolis Colts.
Dantzler, the Vikings' third-round pick out of Mississippi State, won a starting job with a highly impressive training camp and was thrown into the fire against Aaron Rodgers in his NFL debut. It resulted in a shaky outing in which Dantzler was targeted seven times and allowed all seven to be completed for 81 yards. The big play against him was a 45-yard touchdown catch by Marquez Valdes-Scantling right before halftime. Dantzler also missed a pair of tackles.
He still graded as the team's best corner, according to PFF, as he was regularly in good position but couldn't quite make a play. If he's unable to play on Sunday against the Colts, that would be a big loss for the Vikings' secondary. We'll know more based on whether or not he's able to return to practice on Thursday or Friday.
Two other players were listed on the injury report for the Vikings; fellow rookie corner Jeff Gladney and second-year receiver Bisi Johnson have minor knee injuries but were full participants in practice Wednesday. Gladney, a first-round pick from TCU, is still recovering from offseason meniscus surgery. He only played nine snaps against the Packers but would be in line for an expanded role if Dantzler were to miss time.
Here's the full injury report. As a reminder, Danielle Hunter is on injured reserve, which is why he's not listed. Hunter is eligible to return to the active roster starting in Week 4.
The Colts were without three starters at Wednesday's practice: Jack Doyle, Malik Hooker, and Zach Pascal. Hooker and Doyle would be big losses if they can't suit up, but again, it's still early in the week. If Pascal can't go, second-round rookie receiver Michael Pittman Jr. would likely see an expanded role.
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