Next Sunday, rookie Donovan Jackson will already become the third Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman to miss a game due to an injury this season, despite the team only playing three games so far.
Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell revealed on Monday that Jackson has undergone surgery on his wrist, and the rookie isn't expected to be back on the field at least until after the team's Week 6 bye.
Minnesota's 2025 roster, and more specifically, the team's offensive line, has already been heavily impacted by injuries this year, and it doesn't seem like it's going to stop any time soon.
Minnesota Vikings rookie guard Donovan Jackson out multiple games after wrist surgery
Thankfully, Vikings left tackle Christian Darrisaw returned to the starting lineup on Sunday, and O'Connell indicated on Monday that center Ryan Kelly should be suiting up for the team's Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers after he sat out Minnesota's Week 3 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Vikings are only three games into the 2025 season, and they've already placed multiple players on injured reserve, including linebacker Blake Cashman and running back Aaron Jones, and others like edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel, cornerback Jeff Okudah, and safety Harrison Smith have all been sidelined for at least one contest so far this year.
Call it bad luck or whatever else, Minnesota's injury luck early this season has not been good. Roster health has a big impact on the success of each team in the NFL every year, and if the Vikings continue to lose multiple players to significant injuries each week, it's going to get very difficult for them to reach their goals.
As for who will replace Jackson in the starting lineup until he's ready to return, well, O'Connell revealed that Blake Brandel is going to be the one who fills in for the rookie. Brandel started at left guard for Minnesota last season, and he was at his best when Darrisaw was on the field next to him.
If we're looking at this with a glass-half-full approach, perhaps it's better for the Vikings to have to deal with all of these injuries early in the season and have most of their roster available for a playoff push during the final part of their 2025 schedule.
However, if the injuries continue to pile up, Minnesota might not even have a playoff berth to push for by the time they get to the final quarter of the season.