Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison is set to undergo further tests on the ankle injury he suffered during Sunday’s 28-6 victory over the New York Giants. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the injury is not expected to be severe.
Before the injury, Addison had three receptions for 35 yards and was targeted four times by quarterback Sam Darnold in the second quarter. He made catches of 16, 13, and six yards during a 99-yard touchdown drive that extended the Vikings’ lead to 14-3. Additionally, Addison drew a 36-yard pass interference penalty in the first quarter, setting up the Vikings’ first touchdown of the season by Aaron Jones.
Jones expressed enthusiasm about the season opener, stating, “I’m feeling great. This is a great way to start my journey with the Vikings, and as a team, we came and accomplished what we wanted to do,” according to the team’s transcript.
Addison had previously been listed on the injury report with a different ankle issue from training camp, which limited him early last week, although he was a full participant by Friday. Despite this new setback, the injury does not seem to be serious, which is positive news for the Vikings’ offense.
In his debut for Minnesota, Sam Darnold had a standout performance, becoming the third player in franchise history to complete 12 or more consecutive passes to start a season. Kirk Cousins was 17-for-17 against the Chicago Bears in October 2022, and Fran Tarkenton was 12-for-12 against the Cincinnati Bengals in November 1977.
Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell praised Darnold’s poise, saying, “Sam Darnold, for a guy to start 12-for-12 and be incredibly poised throughout the day, it was a huge performance for us to build off of.”
Darnold’s only interception came from a deflected pass after he was hit. One of his notable throws was a 44-yard pass to star receiver Justin Jefferson despite double coverage. Jefferson commented postgame, “We’ve been working on that. We literally practiced it a few days ago.
Just communicating with each other, making sure we’re on the same page – I’m in the right spot and he’s throwing it to the right spot – and everything we talked about happened exactly [as planned] out there on that play.”
Overall, Darnold’s performance in Week 1 was smooth and efficient. Reflecting on the game, he said, “It’s always great to get a win. That’s the biggest thing. It’s always great to get a win, whether it’s Week 1 or Week 12. We’re happy with it, but we’re not satisfied.”
