Minnesota Vikings DT Linval Joseph almost 100 percent

Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Linval Joseph is almost back to full health following a turf toe injury that held him out of action during 2015.

Defensive tackle Linval Joseph was dominating the line of scrimmage during the 2015 NFL season for the Minnesota Vikings until a turf toe injury left him sidelined for a handful of games. The team missed his presence, as without him the team struggled to defend the run and maintain a steady pass rush.

The team noticed this, and gave him an award at the recent Minnesota Football Honors ceremony, naming him the Defensive Player of the Year. With the team having him under a long-term contract, the concern of a nagging injury like turf toe the typically doesn’t happen to linemen.

"“Normally running backs or skill guys. I guess I’m a skill guy,” he said with a laugh."

Linval Joseph might not be considered a “skill player” but he definitely has the skills to be a dominating force in the NFL. Sadly, he’s still not fully recovered from his injury, and an ailment like turf toe is one of those odd injuries that can linger and nag a player for a long time, especially when exerting a lot of pressure and changing directions after planting the foot on the field.

Still, Joseph is optimistic that he can get back to being 100 percent during the 2016 NFL season according to Scout.com.

"“We’ll see, that’s the goal,” he said about being able to practice at full speed right away. “After an injury you just want to build your way up and that’s what I’m trying to do.”"

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You can see defensive tackle Linval Joseph and the rest of the Minnesota Vikings when the team kicks off their regular season on Sunday, September 11, 2016 against the Titans in Tennessee. Best of luck to Joseph on his recovery and hopefully he can return to the team and help the Vikings repeat as NFC North champions.