The Vikings have escaped the preseason relatively healthy. Aside from the season-ending leg injury to Jamal Adams , they have just a few injuries to monitor heading into Week 1's season opener against the rival Packers .
Still, with a few concerns on both sides of the ball, let's assess the health of some key Vikings with less than one week to go before the all-important season-opening clash with the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.
J.J. McCarthy suffered an ankle sprain in the Vikings' second preseason game against the Ravens , but was supposedly trending towards suiting up against the Broncos the following week. That never happened, and conflicting reports about how healthy McCarthy actually was muddied the waters further. After the game, head coach Kevin O'Connell said that McCarthy just wasn't ready.
" We hoped to get him turned over ," O'Connell explained (h/t ESPN 's Kevin Seifert). "Just couldn't get him there."
However, multiple reports emerged in the coming hours and days that it was McCarthy himself who made the call to sit out. The next few days didn't shed much light on the situation either.
J.J. McCarthy's health and role heading into Week 1 have been a question mark among Vikings fans. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Reported to be a "multi-week" injury by ESPN 's Adam Schefter on Aug. 31, Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley said that McCarthy had been practicing in full all week on Sept. 2. Trade rumors, of course, continue to swirl, but it seems that McCarthy will be healthy to enough to suit up against Green Bay . Whether that's for the QB2 or QB3 role, though, remains to be seen.
Undrafted free agent rookie Jacob Thomas was the star of the preseason, notching an interception and grading out as the highest-rated rookie according to Pro Football Focus. However, his final preseason game was cut short after just seven snaps due to what looked like a severe ankle injury.
Vikings fans collectively breathed a sigh of relief when post-game tests revealed the injury to be a Grade 1 ankle sprain , according to The Athletic 's Alec Lewis. It looked much worse watching it live, but Grade 1 is the mildest level of sprain, and recovery typically takes just a week or two. Ultimately, Thomas should avoid being placed on injured reserve, but another development in what was becoming a thin safety room means the Vikings won't rush him back.
Harrison Smith 's sudden return to the Vikings will allow the team to take it slow with Thomas, and while he'll likely be healthy enough to face the Packers on Sunday, the rookie may not take the field in Week 1. Still, Thomas has a bright future with the team and couldn't have asked for a better player to learn under until his time comes.
Theo Jackson left the joint practices with the Ravens with an apparent lower-body injury and did not return. His injury was never officially disclosed, but O'Connell did mention that the safety was trending in the right direction to be ready for the season opener a little over a week ago.
"Theo Jackson is also progressing in a good way," O'Connell said. "You'll start seeing him a little bit more off to the side... But for sure we're targeting that Packers week."
Jackson figures to get some work behind starters Joshua Metellus, Smith and maybe even Jay Ward . That's, of course, assuming he's healthy. Before the injury, Jackson wasn't exactly balling out, and after losing his job to Jay Ward halfway through 2025, his injury now surely won't help his cause.
If Jackson can't go against the Packers, now-healthy rookie Jakobe Thomas may get a look after missing most of the preseason due to a lingering back injury.
Smith will officially return for his 15th NFL season after signing with the Vikings on Saturday. He's been out of football since January and did not participate in organized team activities or training camp. Still, NFL Network 's Mile Garafolo reported that Smith has eyes on playing right away against the Packers.
For a 37-year-old to be out of football for six months and still be in game shape speaks to Smith's work ethic and savviness. He'll immediately slot back in as a starter in the Vikings' secondary and likely finalize the roster heading into the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/vikings/onsi as Early Vikings Week 1 Injury Report (Updates on J.J. McCarthy, Jacob Thomas & More) .
