12 October 2023
The most interesting name on the Vikings’ injury report this week is running back Kene Nwangwu.
Though he still is technically on injured reserve after suffering a back injury in training camp, Nwangwu recently returned to practice for the first time this season. He was listed as a full participant on Wednesday, then again on Thursday, leaving the door open for him to make his return to game action Sunday when the Vikings travel to play the Chicago Bears at Solider Field.
Asked about Nwangwu’s progress, special-teams coordinator Matt Daniels emphasized that the Vikings are still trying to be careful with him as they work him back into the mix. As many players have noted, being in good shape is completely different than being in game shape.
“Just making sure he’s feeling very confident in his ability to go out and do his job at a high level,” Daniels said. “It’s going to take a little bit of time to get his conditioning up and his feet back under him.”
As soon as Nwangwu is cleared to play, the Vikings likely will pencil him in as their kickoff returner, no questions asked. As good as fellow running back Ty Chandler has been as the kickoff returner to this point, he’s simply not Nwangwu, who already has three kickoff returns for touchdowns in his NFL career.
Blackmon growing into role
There was a pretty good chance for rookie cornerback Mekhi Blackmon to intercept star quarterback Patrick Mahomes last Sunday with the Vikings hosting the Kansas City Chiefs. Not only did Blackmon play the route perfectly in coverage, he made a good break on the ball. But it glanced off of his hands and fell harmlessly to the turf.
As much as the Vikings would have loved to force that turnover, defensive coordinator Brian Flores praised Blackmon for being in the right position.
“He’s done a good job,” Flores said. “He works hard at it. He’s got really good football acumen. He’s normally in the right spots.”
All good things as Blackmon prepares for what might be a bigger role this weekend. He had to step up last week after cornerback Akayleb Evans suffered a knee injury that knocked him out of the game. It might be a similar story for Blackmon this week with Evans listed as a limited participant in practice.
“He’s continuing to work,” Flores said of Evans. “I think he’s excited to get back out there.”
Bradbury back to full strength
There were no hiccups last weekend with starting center Garrett Bradbury returning from his back injury. He stepped into the middle of the offensive line and made life easier for quarterback Kirk Cousins. You’ would never have known he had missed more than a month of action.
“I thought Garrett looked really good,” offensive coordinator Wes Phillips said. “He got through the game healthy. His communication was what we expect from him. He’s kind of a calming presence for everybody, including Kirk, being in there with his ownership of the system and the calls.”
Briefly
In addition to Evans, receiver Jordan Addison was listed as limited participant in practice Thursday as he works through an ankle injury. Everybody else on the roster was a full participant for the Vikings.
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