Inside The Vikings

Vikings-Saints Final Injury Report: Updates on Troy Dye, Todd Davis, C.J. Ham

The Vikings will be without Eric Kendricks, Kyle Rudolph, and several others in New Orleans.
Will Ragatz|
Vikings-Saints Final Injury Report: Updates on Troy Dye, Todd Davis, C.J. Ham
Vikings-Saints Final Injury Report: Updates on Troy Dye, Todd Davis, C.J. Ham

As expected based on the preliminary injury reports from earlier in the week, the Vikings will be significantly shorthanded for their Christmas Day game in New Orleans.

Five players have officially been ruled out: Eric Kendricks (calf), Kyle Rudolph (foot), Alexander Mattison (concussion), Jalyn Holmes (groin), and Troy Dye (concussion/hamstring). Todd Davis is listed as doubtful, while C.J. Ham and Armon Watts are questionable.

That's a lot of names! I haven't checked to confirm, but I would guess that's the most players on a final injury report before a Vikings game this season. Let's quickly run through what it all means.

The glaring news is that the Vikings are almost certainly going to be down three linebackers. Kendricks is out for the fourth straight game, while Dye is out after a collision with Harrison Smith last Sunday. Davis hasn't been ruled out, but players very rarely get a doubtful designation and wind up playing.

That means the Vikings have four healthy linebackers: Eric Wilson, Hardy Nickerson Jr., Ryan Connelly, and Blake Lynch. Wilson is the only one who has played a significant role this season. Nickerson has played 62 defensive snaps, while Connelly and Lynch have played exactly one snap apiece. Nickerson and Connelly were waived by other teams earlier this season and scooped up as depth, while Lynch is an undrafted rookie. Yikes.

Rudolph missing his third straight game with a foot injury isn't surprising. I'd guess that neither he nor Kendricks return in Week 17, unless the Vikings win in New Orleans and the 49ers beat the Cardinals, keeping Minnesota's minuscule playoff hopes alive.

Ham is listed as questionable, but it's not a great sign that the Vikings elevated practice squad fullback Jake Bargas to the active roster on Thursday. The other player activated was defensive end Eddie Yarbrough, who should see a handful of snaps with Holmes out.

The inactive lists for both teams will be announced at 2:00 p.m. central time on Friday.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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