Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Sharrif Floyd suffered a left knee injury during the first preseason game that certainly had the organization worried. The first-round draft pick is expected to provide some quality competition among the defensive linemen. Is the injury something the fans should be worried about?
The good news is that Floyd underwent an MRI on Sunday that showed no ligament damage. That means he should be able to return to practice soon. At this point, he is just dealing with soreness after getting blocked low by Houston Texans offensive tackle Andrew Gardner. Floyd is ready to return to normal activities as soon as the team’s medical staff deems him healthy enough to do so, which should be sometime this week.
Even though some were worried about the injury initially, the fact that head coach Leslie Frazier remained calm throughout the entire ordeal was ensuring.
“Not overly concerned by everything I have been told,” Frazier said, according to USA Today Sports. “It’s just sore, so we want to err on the side of caution.”
There is no reason to be putting Floyd back into practice ahead of schedule. The Vikings have plenty of time for him to get ready for the start of the regular season. Even if something had happened which would have prevented him from suiting up in the season opener, it would not have been the end of the world. Minnesota is determined to protect the No. 23 overall draft pick, and rushing him back is certainly the opposite of the organization’s intentions.
