The injury situation with Vikings edge rusher Marcus Davenport could lead to surgery.
“I think he’s still getting some opinions. High ankle sprain, kind of the severity of it sometimes can require a procedure but I don’t have that information right now,” Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said Thursday. “We’ll get that timeline when we figure out what’s best for him.”
For now, Davenport is on injured reserve so he’ll miss at least the next four games. But with a high ankle sprain, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported this week that a timeline of 4-6 weeks might be expected. With surgery, the timeline could be longer.
According to the Mayo Clinic, surgery to repair ankle sprains is rare and usually is due to the injury not healing over time. Davenport did miss all but four snaps of the first three games of the season because of his ankle.
Surgery is also a potential solution when an ankle ligament needs to be repaired, according to Mayo.
With Davenport on the shelf, the Vikings will rely on D.J. Wonnum and Pat Jones II to fill the void at outside linebacker.
“Our depth’s going to be tested now and Pat Jones and D.J. need to continue doing the really good things that they’ve both done,” said O’Connell. “Pat Jones makes a lot, a lot of plays. Plays physical. And D.J.’s really been a do-it-all guy for us.”
The Vikings take on the 49ers on Monday night.
