The Minnesota Vikings are looking to bounce back from their narrow 24-21 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4. But as the Vikings prepare for their Week 5 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, set to take place in London, their injury report is massive.
On Thursday, linebacker Dallas Turner was added to the injury report with an illness, via Alec Lewis of The Athletic. The Vikings will closely monitor him and hope he'll still be able to suit up on Sunday.
However, the same can't be said for many of his teammates. Of the players who did not practice on Thursday were, guard Donovan Jackson (wrist), quarterback JJ McCarthy (ankle) and center Ryan Kelly (concussion). All-in-all, nine Vikings did not practice on Thursday.
With Turner's ailment not being a physical injury, they're hoping that at the very least it's not a long-term concern. Losing him against the Browns would deal a difficult blow. Through the first four weeks of the season, Turner has put up 13 tackles, two quarterback hits and a sack. While his numbers don't jump off the page, he is still expected to contribute on the pass rush.
Despite their wave of injuries, the Vikings have managed to open their season 2-2. They've flipped flopped wins and loss, taking down the Cincinnati Bengals 48-10 prior to their Steelers loss. If that trend continues, then they're due for a win against the Browns.
Still, it's hard to ignore just how injured the Vikings are early into the season. If Turner is forced to miss Week 5 with his illness, the situation would only get worse.
