While Monday provided positive news with the Minnesota Vikings welcoming wide receiver Justin Jefferson and safety Josh Metellus back to practice, All-Pro edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel and veteran safety Harrison Smith remained sidelined.
Van Ginkel last practiced Aug. 7. Since then, he’s been on the sidelines and out of uniform with an undisclosed health issue. The only information provided so far was when head coach Kevin O’Connell announced last week that Van Ginkel was “dealing with a couple things health wise.” If he’s dealing with an injury, it’s unclear what it is.
Smith hasn’t practice since Aug. 11. O’Connell said Aug. 13 that Smith was battling an illness.
The Vikings still have about three weeks before the regular-season opener Sept. 8 at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears, but the Van Ginkel situation is starting to generate concerns due to the lack of information about his health.
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Meanwhile, Jefferson returned to practice Monday for the first time since suffering a hamstring strain during the second practiceof training camp. He participated in individual drills, but was held out of 11-on-11 competition. That was to be expected since O’Connell said the Vikings would be ramping up Jefferson’s workload this week.
“It feels great to get back into the normal routine,” Jefferson said Monday. “I’ve been itching for it. Just glad that I’m feeling great again and back to being with the guys.”
Jefferson said the Sept. 8 opener is “for sure the target” to fully back, though he is aware that he has to be careful with a soft tissue injury because of the explosive movements he makes on the field.
“The way I move, the way my body is positioned, the way I cut, the way I do everything is kind of different than what everyone else does. Different positions I might put a little bit more stress on my body than a normal typical person would,” Jefferson said.
Jefferson missed seven weeks during the 2023 season because of a hamstring strain.
“I definitely didn’t think it was as bad as it was two years ago,” Jefferson said, comparing his injuries.
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