Vikes' Darnold has no structural damage to knee

EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings breathed a sigh of relief Monday upon learning that quarterback Sam Darnold‘s left knee is not seriously injured.

Tests revealed a bruise but no structural damage, coach Kevin O’Connell said, and Darnold is not expected to miss much if any time in preparation for the team’s Week 4 matchup at the Green Bay Packers.

“It’s a little sore,” O’Connell said, “but hoping Sam can have a normal week of preparation as we go through it.”

Darnold has been one of the biggest surprises of the NFL season, throwing a league-high eight touchdown passes in leading the Vikings to a 3-0 start. Playing for the fourth team of his seven-year career, Darnold ranks fifth in the NFL in Total QBR (73.1).

The injury occurred with 3 minutes, 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter of Sunday’s 34-7 victory over the Houston Texans. Dropping back for a second-down pass, Darnold absorbed a low hit from Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter and fell awkwardly. Hunter was penalized 15 yards for a low hit to the quarterback.

Darnold initially stood up after taking the hit but began limping and sat down on the U.S. Bank Stadium turf so medical officials could evaluate him. He walked to the Vikings’ medical tent, and backup Nick Mullens took over for one play before Darnold grabbed his helmet and jogged back on the field.

His return prompted a loud roar from the Vikings’ home crowd, a moment that Darnold said afterward “meant everything to me.”

After the game, however, both Darnold and O’Connell cautioned against assuming he had not suffered an injury at all. Monday’s pending tests conjured recent memories of 2023 starter Kirk Cousins‘ season-ending Achilles tear, as well as rookie J.J. McCarthy suffering a season-ending meniscus tear in August.

Meanwhile, O’Connell said he has no concerns moving forward about a jammed finger on receiver Justin Jefferson‘s right hand. Jefferson suffered the injury on his sixth and final catch late in the second quarter Sunday. X-rays showed no break, but the Vikings only targeted Jefferson twice thereafter and he was not able to catch either of those passes. ESPN Research identified one of the two as a drop.

O’Connell said he thought the other missed catch was the result of Darnold overcorrecting based on feedback from a practice rep.