When the Minnesota Vikings signed tight end Josh Oliver as a free agent before the start of the 2023 NFL season, many fans and experts saw him as a blocking specialist who could play a strong role in the offense.
Josh Oliver has emerged as a sneaky receiving option as well as a good blocker for the Vikings. In 17 games played in a purple and gold jersey, he has caught 41 passes for 429 yards and scored five touchdowns.
In his last two games for Minnesota, Oliver caught seven passes for 86 yards. His emergence as a pass catcher has been a little surprising since he only caught 25 passes for 230 yards and two touchdowns in his first three seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Baltimore Ravens.
Vikings provide cloudy injury update for veteran offensive player after Titans win
Oliver left the Week 11 game against the Tennessee Titans early in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. Head coach Kevin O'Connell recently shared with Vikings.com that the team is still evaluating his injury and determining if he can play through it.
The Vikings don't have a lack of talent at tight end. T.J. Hockenson is the big name at the position with Johnny Mundt, Nick Muse, Robert Tonyan and Sammis Reyes rounding out the depth for the purple and gold.
"We're loaded at the tight end position, and Coach (Brian) Angelico does a great job with those guys,"Kevin O'Connell via Vikings.com
In Week 12, Minnesota will travel to Chicago to play the Bears. Of course, it would be great if the Vikings could have Josh Oliver available for this divisional matchup, but the team and fans should be confident there is enough depth and talent at the position for the game even if the former San Jose State standout isn't able to play.
Hopefully there will be more updates on Josh Oliver's status soon. Some positive news would be great, especially since the Minnesota Vikings tight end is having an excellent season and the team is hoping to build on their 8-2 record and remain competitive in a challenging NFC North division.
Keep an eye on the team's injury reports throughout the week for more updates on Oliver's injury. His status throughout the week and anything the coaching or training staff shares will be available as Sunday's game against the Bears approaches.