A complete rundown of Vikings injuries before Week 1 of the 2022 season
By Adam Patrick
![(Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) Irv Smith Jr. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) Irv Smith Jr.](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/https-3A-2F-2Fthevikingage-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fgetty-images-2F2020-2F07-2F1183490999-850x560-06106965430768addb6cec53328452a9082d273b29a563763aea8a1bfebee027.jpg)
Which Minnesota Vikings are already sidelined with injuries and which guys can the team expect to be ready for Week 1 of the 2022 season?
For the first time since probably 2019, the Minnesota Vikings haven’t lost any of their top players to a significant injury before the start of the regular season.
In 2020, the Vikings lost pass rusher Danielle Hunter in the summer to a neck injury, and then last year, tight end Irv Smith Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury in a meaningless preseason game.
Now, Smith did injure his thumb a few weeks ago, and it required surgery, but it’s nowhere near as severe as the knee injury he suffered last summer. Minnesota is still hoping that the young tight end will be ready for their regular-season opener against the Green Bay Packers on September 11th.
A big reason why the majority of the Vikings’ roster has been able to remain healthy this year has to do with the team’s new coaching staff choosing to keep most of their top players out of action for the entire preseason.
Despite this strategy, a few members of Minnesota’s roster still suffered some unfortunate injuries this summer that could prevent them from being ready for the team’s regular-season opener in less than two weeks.
As the Vikings prepare for the first matchup on their 2022 schedule, let’s take a look at which players are currently dealing with injuries, and what the future looks like for them in purple and gold.