3:20 P.M. UPDATE
The Vikings announced Wednesday afternoon that defensive end Danielle Hunter has been placed on injured reserve, meaning he’ll miss at least the first three games of the season.
Hunter’s injury remains unknown, with the Vikings only saying he suffered a “tweak” in mid-August. He’s eligible to return for Week 4 when the Vikings face the Houston Texans.
Original story
The Vikings may be opening the season against division rival Green Bay without arguably their best defensive player, Danielle Hunter.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero, Hunter’s status for Sunday’s noon kickoff is “very much in doubt,” and if he plays he’ll likely be limited.
#Vikings DE Danielle Hunter’s status for Sunday is very much in doubt, per me and @TomPelissero. If Hunter practices today, it will likely be limited. A situation to monitor.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 9, 2020
What’s more is that linebacker Eric Kendricks intimated that the defensive won’t have Hunter in Sunday’s opener, saying “it’s going to be hard to replace” him.
“A guy like Danielle, he brings a whole other type of game in and it’s going to be hard to replace a guy like that, but we also have guys that are hungry and want to step up too, ” Kendricks said Friday during a Zoom conference call with reporters.
Hunter has not practiced since August 14 because of an undisclosed injury.
His official status will be released with the first injury report of the season, which is due to come out Wednesday afternoon, and again Friday afternoon.
Minnesota traded for pro bowl defensive end Yannick Ngakoue Aug. 30, which sparked fears that Hunter, who hadn’t practiced in two weeks at the time, could be dealing with a serious injury. However, Pelissero reported then that Hunter was not expected to miss extended time.
