The Minnesota Vikings' first Week 9 injury report came out, and it had some alarming news on it, with edge rusher Jonathan Greenard being limited in practice as he deals with an ankle injury.
Greenard suffered the injury in the team's 37-10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers after being one of the very few players on the Vikings who played well in the game. He finished the game with six tackles, three tackles for loss, two quarterback hits, and one sack.
After the injury report was released, Greenard was asked about the injury and what his status is for the game during an appearance on KFXN-FM radio on Thursday.
The 2024 Pro Bowler made sure Vikings nation knows that he had a timeline in mind for his playing status for their matchup against the Detroit Lions.
“It’s Detroit. Come on, I’m not missing that.”
Minnesota Vikings about to load up on defense at the right time
Greenard is not having quite the 2025 campaign statistically that he did in 2024, but he is still proving to be the most efficient pass rusher off the edge. He has racked up 24 tackles, nine quarterback hits, nine tackles for loss, two sacks, two pass deflections, and one forced fumble in seven games.
The problem affecting Greenard's play this season is that he hasn't had his running mate on the other side, Andrew Van Ginkel, who has missed most of the season due to a neck injury. Minnesota had Van Ginkel on the same injury report as Greenard, but Van Ginkel was a full participant in practice.
If the Vikings can get both guys on the field together for the first time since their Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, this Minnesota defense can get back on track after allowing over 30 points a game in the last two losses.
The Vikings are in the middle of the pack in sacks in the NFL with 18, but their edge rusher have not dominated as Greenard and Van Ginkel are tied for the lead among Vikings edge rushers with two sacks.
The Lions game is a critical one for the Vikings to win as they try to turn around their season after a 3-4 start. Another loss for the men in purple, and they could be facing a hard and bumpy road to making the postseason.