Sam Darnold, Minnesota Vikings’ Quarterback, Escapes Serious Knee Injury

Sam Darnold’s Knee Injury Not Severe, Confirms Coach

On a recent Monday, the Minnesota Vikings collectively exhaled in relief after discovering that their quarterback, Sam Darnold’s left knee injury was not as severe as initially feared. According to Kevin O’Connell, the team’s coach, tests showed a bruise but no significant structural harm. Consequently, Darnold is predicted to not miss much practice time ahead of the Vikings’ Week 4 clash with the Green Bay Packers.

O’Connell is hopeful that Darnold can maintain his routine preparation schedule despite the minor discomfort. Darnold’s performance this season has been notably impressive, leading the Vikings to a 3-0 start with eight touchdown passes – the highest in the league. Now in his seventh year, Darnold, who is on his fourth team, ranks fifth in the NFL in Total QBR (73.1).

Darnold’s Injury and Quick Recovery

Darnold’s injury happened with less than four minutes left in the third quarter during the Vikings’ 34-7 win over the Houston Texans. While preparing to pass on a second down, Darnold was hit low by Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter and fell awkwardly. This resulted in a 15-yard penalty against Hunter for a low hit on the quarterback.

After taking the hit, Darnold got up but started limping and had to sit down on the U.S. Bank Stadium turf for medical evaluation. He then headed to the Vikings’ medical tent while backup Nick Mullens took over momentarily. When Darnold returned to the field, the home crowd erupted in cheers, a moment that Darnold later described as “meaning everything to me”.

Other Injury Concerns and Updates

However, both Darnold and O’Connell urged caution, hinting that Darnold might have sustained some injury. This incident brought back memories of Kirk Cousins’ season-ending Achilles tear in 2023 and rookie J.J. McCarthy’s meniscus tear earlier this year.

In addition, there are no concerns about receiver Justin Jefferson’s jammed finger. Jefferson injured his right hand on a late second-quarter catch, but X-rays showed no fractures. Despite being targeted twice more, Jefferson was unable to make further catches, which our research identified as one drop. O’Connell believes the second missed catch was due to Darnold adjusting too much based on practice feedback.