Alex Boone misses Minnesota Vikings practices with apparent knee injury
By Adam Carlson
Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Alex Boone did not practice for the second time in a row on Tuesday, as he sat out with his knee wrapped on the sideline.
The left side of the Minnesota Vikings offensive line looks to be struggling this preseason. Left tackle Riley Reiff was unable to play in the first preseason game due to a back injury, but returned to activities on Monday.
However, that didn’t bring the offensive line back to full strength. Starting on Monday, left guard Alex Boone sat out of practices. The Pioneer Press reports that his left knee was bandaged and left the field after stretches.
While this is concerning, fans shouldn’t be biting their nails just yet. The team has yet to announce anything concrete about Boone’s knee and it is likely this is just a minor issue that will need some time to get back to 100% before the regular season starts.
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Since Alex Boone is a veteran in the NFL, he doesn’t need many reps during the preseason. Still, it would be great to see him get some time next to both offensive tackle Riley Reiff and rookie center Pat Elflein.
Taking the place of Boone in practices were Elflein and Nick Easton, who are entrenched in a battle for the starting center position as well. Having players who can fill in at multiple spots make them extremely valuable, and strong backup options are great for depth.
Again, this is likely temporary. Even if Boone is to miss preseason games, it wouldn’t be too devastating to the team. It would give younger, more inexperienced players more time to be evaluated in game situations while allowing time for the left guard to get back to 100%
Next: Vikings 2017 schedule breakdown
The Minnesota Vikings still have plenty of time to get healthy and put their best players on field for the regular season opener against the New Orleans Saints on September 11, 2017. Hopefully the team can do just that in time for the big Sunday Night Football clash.