On Monday, Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell stated that he didn't want to rule out Stephon Gilmore for the team's upcoming Week 14 game against the Atlanta Falcons just yet, despite the veteran cornerback suffering a hamstring injury in the Week 13 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
Well, on Wednesday, the Vikings made a roster move that might have given away the true odds of Gilmore playing this weekend, as the team signed free-agent cornerback Kelvin Joseph to its practice squad.
Joseph has been in the NFL since 2021 when the Dallas Cowboys selected him with a second-round draft pick, and most recently, he appeared in two games with the Indianapolis Colts earlier this season.
After latest signing, chances of Minnesota Vikings CB Stephon Gilmore playing in Week 14 vs. the Atlanta Falcons seem low
O'Connell is someone who definitely prefers to take the optimistic approach with just about everything, so his comments on Monday certainly gave Vikings fans a glimmer of hope that Gilmore could play against the Falcons on Sunday.
However, Wednesday's signing of Joseph seems like a precautionary decision made by Minnesota in anticipation of Gilmore not being able to suit up this weekend.
Joseph was only added to the Vikings' practice squad, so his arrival is likely to just make sure the team still maintains its depth behind the guys they already have at the cornerback position. Still, Minnesota probably wouldn't have signed him if they felt Gilmore actually has a legitimate shot to play this weekend.
If he's unable to take the field on Sunday, the Vikings will probably turn to veteran corner Fabian Moreau to play a significant amount of snaps against the Falcons. Moreau filled in for Gilmore in Week 13 and wound up appearing in 31 defensive snaps for Minnesota.