Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Olabisi Johnson reportedly suffered a torn ACL on Saturday night in the team’s preseason game against the Denver Broncos.
After missing the entire 2021 season due to a torn ACL, Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Bisi Johnson is expected to miss the entire 2022 campaign after he reportedly tore his ACL in his other knee during Saturday’s preseason contest against the Denver Broncos, according to multiple reports.
It’s unfortunate news for Johnson as he was apparently on track to make the team’s 53-man roster according to Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell after Saturday’s game.
This injury likely opens up a spot for a wide receiver on the bubble, like Trishton Jackson or Myron Mitchell, to now make Minnesota’s final roster this year.
Latest injury likely ends the career of Bisi Johnson with the Minnesota Vikings
Back in 2019, Johnson defied the odds when he fought his way onto the Vikings’ regular-season roster despite being drafted in the seventh round just a few months earlier.
He had a solid rookie year (31 catches for 294 yards and three touchdowns), and it seemed like Minnesota had stumbled upon another talented late-round wide receiver.
But then Johnson struggled in 2020 with just 14 catches for 189 yards despite beginning the regular season as a starter over Justin Jefferson.
Some felt he could have been a nice No. 3 or No. 4 receiver for the Vikings in 2021, but a torn ACL in training camp ended any chances of that happening.
With Johnson likely tearing his ACL again on Saturday, there’s a good chance that we’ve already seen the wide receiver catch his last pass in a Minnesota uniform.
Currently scheduled to hit free agency in 2023, he’s still young enough (25-years-old) to rebound and have a solid career in the NFL. But not being on the field for a single snap for two straight seasons due to serious knee injuries is probably going to make it difficult for Johnson to land with a team next year.
His best bet might actually be to return to the Vikings on a cheap, one-year deal in 2023 to see if he can stay healthy enough to make the team. Will Minnesota be interested in this possibility next offseason?