The Vikings are still unbeaten, but the injury list is starting to crowd the picture in a hurry.
Minnesota got past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, yet the win came with a fresh round of concern for Kevin O’Connell’s offense. Justin Jefferson is dealing with an ankle issue, and tight end Jordan Oliver left with an arm injury and never returned. The early read on that injury is now the worrying one: NFL insider Ian Rapoport said Monday morning that Oliver was getting MRIs to check for a torn biceps, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler later confirmed those fears, reporting that the 29-year-old will need surgery and is "most likely a long shot to return this year, at least for the regular season."
Oliver may not carry the same national profile as some of Minnesota’s bigger names, but his role matters. He sits behind T.J.
Hockenson on the depth chart and has logged 1,515 offensive snaps across 50 regular-season games since arriving in Minnesota. A lot of that work has come as a blocker, with the occasional contribution in the passing game.
That makes the next part pretty simple: the Vikings need help. And they need it from someone with real experience, because the current depth chart is thin.
Ben Yurosek is on injured reserve, Gavin Bartholomew is the only other tight end on the 53-man roster, and Cam Grandy is the lone practice squad option. Bartholomew just played his first four offensive snaps last week, while Grandy has only 103 offensive snaps and has yet to appear in a game this season.
So if Minnesota wants another body in the room, the focus probably has to land on a veteran. Three names stand out.
Jordan Akins is one possibility, even if he has not played a meaningful game in nearly two years. A 2018 third-round pick of the Houston Texans, Akins has appeared in 107 regular-season games and two playoff contests.
He has 206 catches for 2,277 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he has drawn a 94.6 passer rating when targeted. Blocking has never been his calling card, but he did post a career-best 75.6 Pro Football Focus pass-block grade in 2024 and went 16 passing downs without allowing a pressure.
There’s also a built-in connection: Vikings quarterbacks coach Josh McCown spent a few months with Akins in Houston in 2020.
Will Dissly is another veteran who fits the idea of an experienced stopgap. Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley has plenty of background with him from Seattle, where Teasley spent more than a decade in various roles before joining Minnesota.
He became the Seahawks’ director of pro personnel in 2018, Dissly’s rookie season. Dissly spent six seasons with Seattle and the last two with the Los Angeles Chargers.
His career with the Seahawks produced a 127-1,421-13 line in 72 games, and he posted an NFL-high 73.7% success rate in 2022. He has also graded at least 70.0 in pass blocking in five of his eight seasons, with solid work in run protection as well.
His numbers dipped in Los Angeles, where he went 61-578-2 in 24 games, but he did finish with career highs in catches and receiving yards in 2024, catching 50 passes for 481 yards.
Nick Vannett rounds out the list, and he’s another name tied to Teasley’s Seahawks background. Seattle made Vannett a third-round pick in 2016, and he spent four seasons there before becoming one of the league’s more traveled tight ends, with 121 games across nine different franchises.
Vikings fans already know him a little, too. He played four games in Minnesota last season before the Rams signed him off the practice squad.
Vannett has been uneven as a blocker over the course of his career, but he did post a career-best 66.4 PFF mark in run protection last season.
With Oliver sidelined and the depth behind Hockenson stretched thin, Minnesota’s best answer may be another veteran tight end who can walk in and handle the dirty work right away.
In Other News...
Vikings Win Came With A Bigger NFC Twist Fans Will Notice
The Vikings left Week 3 with a win, but the result carried a wider NFC ripple after Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield was knocked out late in the fourth quarter. He injured his right thumb while throwing and was replaced by rookie backup Jalon Daniels, a late-game shift that immediately added another layer to a game Minnesota had already controlled enough to close out.
Mayfield is expected to miss time and will get an MRI to determine just how serious the damage is, which matters far beyond Tampa Bays sideline. For a Vikings team trying to build momentum in a crowded conference race, the injury to a familiar NFC opponent is the kind of development fans notice right away, especially with the playoff picture never staying quiet for long. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Are Sending A Clear Message On J.J. McCarthy
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For Minnesota, the move is another reminder of where McCarthy stands after arriving as a 2024 first-round pick. He remains under contract through 2027 with a fifth-year option for 2028, so the Vikings still have control for the long haul, but this kind of interest also underscores how other teams are still willing to invest in him as a quarterback worth developing. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings May Need DeeJay Dallas Fast And His Rise Says Plenty
DeeJay Dallas went from the Vikings practice squad to the active roster in a hurry after Jordan Mason landed on injured reserve, and the timing makes his arrival feel a lot bigger than a routine depth move. Minnesota has already gotten a taste of Dallas in the first two games of the season, where he has chipped in on offense and special teams, and the teams thinning backfield has only raised the importance of having someone who can be trusted in multiple roles.
What stands out is how quickly Dallas has taken to the Vikings offense and how familiar he already is with the organization and coaching staff. In a season where injuries have already started reshaping the running back room, that kind of comfort can matter just as much as raw ability, and it gives Minnesota a player who may need to be ready for a much larger role sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]