The good news for the Vikings regarding injuries is that Danielle Hunter (illness) is expected to participate on Sunday against the Lions after being upgraded from an estimated DNP on Wednesday to limited participation on Thursday. Furthermore, Jordan Hicks (shin) participated fully for the second day in a row.
The bad news is that it appears as though the Vikings may be without three important starters for their crucial game against Detroit on Christmas Eve. RT RB Alexander Mattison (ankle), WR Jalen Nailor (concussion), CB Byron Murphy Jr. (hamstring), and DT Harrison Phillips (back) were not present at practice on Thursday.
It seems likely that those players will need to participate in a restricted practice on Friday if they plan to play this weekend or at the very least enter with a dubious tag. We’ll watch to see whether that occurs.
Right tackle David Quessenberry will start again if O’Neill is unable to play. Enough of a solid man in Cincinnati. Even if Mattison is able to suit up, Ty Chandler will almost definitely be the starting running back for the Vikings.
If they are unable to play, Murphy and Phillips would both be huge losses on defense. Murphy is the primary cornerback for the Vikings; in the event that Murphy is out, youngster Mekhi Blackmon would be thrown into the starting lineup in a challenging game.
Additionally, Andrew Booth Jr. might be eligible for a few snaps. As the cornerstone of the Vikings’ run defense, Phillips has been having an underappreciated, fantastic season. If Phillips is sidelined, Minnesota will be depending on players like Jonathan Bullard, Sheldon Day, Khyris Tonga, and Jaquelin Roy.
