Minnesota Vikings: Carter Bykowski out for season

The Minnesota Vikings’ offensive line took another hit Wednesday when the team announced that OT Carter Bykowski is out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle.

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Bykowski is the fifth Vikings player to suffer a significant pectoral injury in the last year. He’s the third offensive lineman to go out with a torn pec.

Mike Zimmer did not reveal the exact nature of Bykowski’s injury when announcing it this afternoon, but a source confirmed to the Star-Tribune that it was indeed a pec.

The Vikings announced last month that in light of all the pectoral injuries they planned on reviewing their weight lifting program. Last season the Vikings switched from using machines to free weights.

Bykowski goes down for the year just days after the Vikings put starting RT on Phil Loadholt on IR with a torn Achilles tendon. Incidentally, Loadholt was one of the two Vikings O-linemen who went down last year with torn pecs, the other being Brandon Fusco.

It would be really nice if Vikings players would stop tearing things, especially their pecs!

With Loadholt gone, the Vikings are expected to go with rookie T.J. Clemmings at right tackle. On Tuesday the team signed former Giants UDFA Stephen Goodin to provide offensive line depth.

In other injury news, the Vikings also revealed that DT Shamar Stephen has had his knee scoped. Luckily Stephen’s injury is not serious and he’s expected to be ready when the season starts.

We’re at the point now where if it’s not a torn pec and the guy isn’t going to miss more than a few weeks, it’s incredibly great news.

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