Injury forces new Vikings defender to leave practice early on Saturday

This has been a hard offseason for the Minnesota Vikings. With the team's first preseason game one week away, more bad news could put the roster in a difficult position heading into cuts to the 53-man roster.

Tragedy has struck the Vikings and injuries have taken their toll during training camp. Having the best roster for the upcoming 2024 NFL season will optimize Minnesota's chances of being competitive in a challenging NFC North division.

Sadly, more negative news has hit the roster and a recent defensive signing who has been taking first-team reps has been added to the list of individuals who may have their status for the upcoming season put into doubt.

Injury forces new Vikings defender to leave practice early on Saturday

During Saturday's practice, it was reported by The Athletic beat writer Alec Lewis that former Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Jerry Tillery had a scary incident where the first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft went down.

Tillery is in the running to be a starter for the Minnesota Vikings defense this season. The former Notre Dame defender is a candidate to start next to Harrison Phillips and Jonathan Bullard in Brian Flores' defensive scheme.

The injury will give Jaquelin Roy an opportunity for more reps where he will likely be the next man up. Until there is an update on Tillery's status, the defensive line will continue to be a work-in-progress and a unit the Vikings will need to keep a close eye on this year.

Hearing that Tillery was down for several minutes and that the cart was involved is not a good sign. If this injury is serious, the Vikings will need another player to step up while the six-foot-six, 295-pound defensive tackle recovers.

Hopefully, this injury doesn't turn out to be something serious and Jerry Tillery can return to team activities. This offseason, he signed a one-year deal with Minnesota worth $2.75 million with $1.47 million guaranteed.

Tillery doesn't have a significant injury history, making it a little more optimistic that this incident might not be too serious. Sadly, his absence from Minnesota's trenches will leave a big hole to fill until he returns.

Already a fairly thin unit, the Minnesota Vikings defensive line can't withstand losses, especially this early in the season. Although there are still some options in free agency, the hope is that Jerry Tillery will return to practice at full-strength soon.

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