Jefferson not on Vikings’ injury report; car accident aggravates Bradbury’s back
The good news from the Vikings' first injury report before Saturday's game against the Giants is that receiver Justin Jefferson is not listed. He took two flagged hits from Colts defenders, one of which caused a rib contusion, head coach Kevin O'Connell said, but the injury won't limit the Vikings star in practices this week.
The bad news is center Garrett Bradbury suffered what he called a "setback" during a minor car accident following Saturday's win against the Colts. Bradbury, who has missed the past two games with lower back tightness, was the only player who did not participate in Tuesday's walkthrough. This is the first practice he's missed since the injury popped up after a Dec. 4 win against the Jets.
Bradbury said he's working with the Vikings training staff to "get my back calmed down" after an accident in which he said there were no major injuries.
"Just snow and ice and a guy turned when he wasn't supposed to," Bradbury said. "That was just the cherry on top."
Two linebackers — Eric Kendricks (hip) and Brian Asamoah (ankle) — were limited during the walkthrough. Edge rusher Patrick Jones II (illness) was upgraded to a full participant after being held out of the Colts game. Cornerback Cameron Dantzler (illness/ankle) is no longer on the injury report after missing two practices last week and watching the historic comeback from the sideline as an emergency option.
With the NFC North Division title wrapped up and a home playoff game secured, O'Connell was asked Tuesday about how he'll handle relatively healthy stars like Jefferson with three games left. Jefferson leads the NFL with 111 catches and 1,623 receiving yards, and he's in striking distance of the NFL single-season record of 1,964 yards set in 2012 by Calvin Johnson.
"He's a guy that's going to fight me every time we start trying to have that conversation," O'Connell said. "We'll pick our spots. We'll just find ways to infuse some of the other guys at the position anyway. But Justin's having an unbelievable season."
Vikings sign QB Josh Rosen
The Vikings signed quarterback Josh Rosen, a 2018 first-round pick by the Cardinals, to the practice squad on Tuesday. Rosen replaces former third-string quarterback David Blough, who was signed to Arizona's active roster last week. The Vikings are Rosen's seventh NFL team in five years. He most recently spent training camp with the Browns and last started for the Dolphins in 2019.
"It's been crazy," Rosen said. "All over the place, learned a lot, but what keeps me going is football. It's fun. So, chasing reps and opportunities and hopefully it will come sooner than later."
Rosen reconnects with O'Connell, whom Rosen first met as a high school participant in a 2014 national quarterback camp called the Elite 11, where O'Connell was a coach.
"A guy I've kind of known for a long time," O'Connell said. "I think he has a high ceiling as a quarterback, just based upon his experiences but also his pure physical talent throwing the football at a high level. All we want him to do is come in and learn and fit into that quarterback room."
Crossing paths
O'Connell, the 37-year-old former NFL backup quarterback, isn't too far removed from his playing days. The Vikings schedule has recently reminded him. Two opponents were in O'Connell's 2008 draft class, when he was a third-round pick by the Patriots, including Patriots special teamer Matthew Slater and Colts quarterback Matt Ryan. On Saturday, the Vikings host Giants head coach Brian Daboll, who evaluated O'Connell the quarterback nearly 15 years ago.
"He worked me out before the draft," O'Connell said. "I can remember him coaching me up out there when he was quarterbacks coach of the Jets. I think the world of what he does as a leader of men and schematically as a head coach."
