It was almost all good for the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. They throttled the Houston Texans to move to 3-0…that was the good part.
What wasn’t good was seeing quarterback Sam Darnold go down and miss a snap with a knee injury. While Darnold was able to return after missing only a single play, it was announced he would undergo an MRI on Monday to examine the full extent of the injury.
What’s the latest on Darnold’s knee injury, and will he be able to play next Sunday against the Green Bay Packers?
Will Sam Darnold Miss Any Games With His Injured Knee?
The Vikings received some positive injury news on Monday. The results of Darnold’s MRI showed that he avoided a serious injury.
#Vikings QB Sam Darnold’s MRI revealed a knee bruise and no structural damage, per source. pic.twitter.com/CdWuEuNlwR
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 23, 2024
Even more than avoiding a serious injury, Darnold is expected to be ready to play by this upcoming Sunday when he and the Vikings travel to Green Bay for their first divisional game of the season.
Green Bay is also dealing with a quarterback injury. Jordan Love, the Packers’ starter, injured his knee late in the team’s Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. Unlike Darnold, Love sustained an injury that required him to miss time, and he hasn’t suited up for a game since.
Love returned to the practice field last week even though he wound up being inactive for Green Bay’s Week 3 win over the Tennessee Titans. There is optimism that Love will be back in the lineup on Sunday, though, meaning both the Vikings and Packers could be at full strength at the quarterback position for the NFC North showdown.
When Did Darnold Injure His Knee?
Leading 21-7 late in the fourth quarter, the Vikings were faced with a 2nd-and-10 from their own 40-yard line. Darnold delivered a pass to running back Aaron Jones for a gain of nine but was hit low by Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter after the pass.
Darnold was visibly bothered after the play and tried to gather himself but then relented and sat on the ground.
The Vikings’ training staff examined his left leg on the field but then ushered Darnold to the sideline, where he was evaluated in the blue medical tent.
Meanwhile, the officials penalized Hunter for roughing the passer after the play. On the next snap, Jones rushed for a gain of one yard to the Houston 36-yard line. Then Darnold jogged back onto the field, having missed just one snap.
“Obviously he’s a great player and not a dirty player whatsoever, but just getting hit low there, we’ll evaluate it,” Darnold explained after the game. “We’ll look at it. But felt good enough to be able to go back in the game.”
The ovation Vikings fans offered Darnold when he returned to the game was significant, as the tension that had filled the building when he was being evaluated quickly lifted and feelings of relief overcame the building.
“The fans’ reaction meant everything,” Darnold said. “And not just the reaction, not only that, but my entire time here at Minnesota has been amazing with the fans. Just been great.”