Vikings place DE Danielle Hunter on IR
Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter celebrates after sacking Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019, in Minneapolis.[AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn]
The Minnesota Vikings will be without one of their star players when they open the season on Sunday against their rival the Green Bay Packers.
Wednesday, the Vikings placed defensive end Danielle Hunter on the Injured Reserve, meaning Hunter will miss at least the first three games of the season. That means Hunter will miss the following games:
- Week 1 — Home vs. Green Bay
- Week 2 — at Indianapolis
- Week 3 — Home vs. Tennessee
He’ll be eligible to return Week 4 when the Vikings play in Houston against the Texans, although it’s unclear what his exact injury is and how long he may be out.
Update: ESPN reports that it’s a neck injury.
The Vikings also announced the team has protected kicker Chase McLaughlin on its practice squad. Teams are able to protect up to four players on the practice squad each week during this season to prevent other teams from signing those players.