This story was originally published by Dead Spin
The Minnesota Vikings can’t catch a break. Seriously.
Just hours after rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy was ruled out for the season after a surgery to repair his torn meniscus, receiver Jordan Addison was carted off the field on Wednesday during Minnesota’s joint practice with the Cleveland Browns.
“I don’t believe he’ll practice [Thursday],” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said after practice and before talking to his training staff. “We’re going to get [an MRI], but I think he’s going to be alright.”
According to the Star Tribune’s Mark Craig, Addison was seen at the team hotel on crutches, meaning that his preseason is likely over.
Addison was in tight coverage on the sideline when quarterback Sam Darnold threw a wild incompletion. Addison was tripped up on the play, tried to stand up but went back down, and was quickly carted off the field with trainers.
Addison, 22, caught 70 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns during his rookie season with the Vikings last year. He was expected to be a part of one of the best receiving duos in football, next to Justin Jefferson.
O’Connell will likely provide an update on Addison’s condition after the MRI. For now, there’s no additional information on the injury. Regardless, losing the No. 10 overall pick and future franchise quarterback for the season on the same day your young, star receiver goes down is just a miserable day of bad football news.
Wednesday’s joint practice was the first opportunity for the Vikings and Browns to match up ahead of Saturday’s preseason game at Cleveland Browns Stadium. The first practice was extremely competitive and physical in nature, and Addison was not the only Vikings player injured.
Wide receiver Thayer Thomas, who spent last season on Minnesota’s practice squad, went down after a pass intended for him was intercepted by Myles Harden for a pick-six.
After that injury, O’Connell was seen talking on the field with Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, possibly about the physicality of this practice. O’Connell said afterwards that physicality was not the issue.
“I was just saying we wanted to make sure Thayer is OK and that it was not serious,” O’Connell said. “As for the [physicality], not at all. I thought it was a physical practice. Exactly what you hope to accomplish. Guys are going to get juiced up, but it was nothing even near to crossing the line. Just good work.”
The Vikings will continue to practice with the Browns in Berea, Ohio, leading up to their preseason game on Saturday.
