Zimmer expects Elflein to be off the PUP list before the regular season

Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said on Sunday that he expects center Pat Elflein to be off the PUP list for Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers.

Throughout this most recent offseason, there were a number of different reports regarding the status of Minnesota Vikings center Pat Elflein.

Back in March, it was believed by some that Elflein could be recovered enough from ankle surgery to participate in the Vikings’ spring OTAs. But that did not happen and the Minnesota center just ended up being a non-participant in the team’s OTAs this year.

Then it came time for Vikings training camp in July and there were some who thought that Elflein would be healthy enough to practice with his teammates once again. However, Minnesota placed the young center on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list at the beginning of camp and that is where he has remained since.

After his placement on the PUP list, it was revealed that Elflein also had surgery on his shoulder this offseason in addition to the work he had done on his ankle.

After this was reported, his absence from Vikings practice was a little easier to understand considering he is recovering from two offseason operations and not just one.

When speaking with the local media on Sunday, Minnesota head coach Mike Zimmer was asked about Elflein’s current status.

Zimmer said that he does not expect the young center to practice this week, but he does anticipate Elflein will come off the PUP list prior to the Vikings’ first regular season game against the San Francisco 49ers on September 9.

Now, just because Elflein is not expected to be on the PUP list, it does not guarantee that he will be able to play against the 49ers.

If the Minnesota center was still on the PUP list in Week 1, league rules require that he sit out for the first six weeks of the regular season. At the very least, the Vikings will take Elflein off the list before the 49ers game to avoid him being unavailable for the team’s first six games of 2018.

Of course, Minnesota hopes that the center will be able to actually play in the team’s first regular season matchup against San Francisco. But as of Sunday, the chance of that happening is still up in the air.