On Friday, the Minnesota Vikings released the team's final injury report before their big Week 16 matchup on the road against the Seattle Seahawks, and it has definitely generated some concerns.
Not only have the Vikings already ruled out defensive lineman Jalen Redmond for Sunday's contest, but fullback C.J. Ham and safety Harrison Smith are both listed as questionable for this weekend's matchup as well.
Redmond is out with a concussion, Ham is dealing with an ankle injury, and Smith is dealing with an injured foot. On the positive side of things, Minnesota cornerback Stephon Gilmore was not on the team's final injury report and he will play on Sunday after missing the last two games with an injured hamstring.
Minnesota Vikings injuries for Week 16 vs. Seattle Seahawks could put bid for No. 1 seed in NFC in jeopardy
Heading into this weekend, the Vikings are sitting with a 12-2 record and a very real shot at ending the regular season as the No. 1 seed in the NFC. But with the Detroit Lions and Philadelphia Eagles both currently having 12-2 records as well, Minnesota's best path to capturing the top seed in the NFC this year is probably to win each of the final three games on their regular-season schedule.
In Seattle on Sunday, the Vikings will still have a ton of their top players on the field, but possibly not having Smith in the lineup could definitely make getting a victory over the Seahawks much more difficult. Especially since Minnesota will be going up against a Seattle team with one of the best wide receiver trios in the NFL in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, D.K. Metcalf, and Tyler Lockett.
Smith hasn't missed a game since Week 18 of the 2022 season, and even without him in that contest, the Vikings still managed to get a road win over the Chicago Bears. If Smith can't play on Sunday, Minnesota will be hoping for a similar result.