Under new NFL rules, the Minnesota Vikings can place two players on the injured list and mark them for return while trimming their roster to 53 players. Yesterday they placed offensive lineman Dalton Risner on the injured list and today they filled the second of those two spots.
The #Vikings will place promising UDFA LB Gabriel Murphy on the short-term injured list to begin the season, a source said. The former UCLA star showed his strengths early in training camp.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) 27 August 2024
Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network reports that the Vikings are placing rookie edge defender Gabriel Murphy on the injured list, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the season and will be eligible to play starting in Week 5.
The Vikings gave Murphy a hefty bonus to sign with the team as an undrafted free agent, and he was reportedly impressive during the offseason program and early in training camp. However, he eventually suffered an injury and did not appear in any of the team’s three preseason games.
As mentioned, this will fill both spots on the Vikings’ pre-cut roster for players who can return from IR at some point this season. The team had placed cornerback Mekhi Blackmon and rookie quarterback JJ McCarthy on IR earlier in the preseason, so they won’t be able to return this year.
The Vikings must further trim their roster to 53 players by the 3:00 p.m. Central Time deadline. They still have a number of decisions to make and as they are made, we will share them with you here whenever we are able.
