Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison was taken off the field on a cart Wednesday after injuring his ankle while trying to catch a pass against Cleveland’s first-team defense during a joint practice.
Addison, who had a strong rookie season with 70 catches, 911 yards, and 10 touchdowns, was treated on the field before being driven away for further evaluation.
This injury was a tough blow for the Vikings, especially since rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy had already been ruled out for the season due to knee surgery earlier that day.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said he doesn’t think Addison’s injury is severe.
“We’ll go through all the necessary steps and get some images to find out exactly what’s wrong,” O’Connell said. “But I believe he’ll be okay. It’s unfortunate to see that, especially early in practice.”
O’Connell confirmed Addison would not return to Wednesday’s practice but was unsure how long he might be sidelined.
“We’ll evaluate him and see,” he said. “I don’t expect him to practice tomorrow, but I hope to have more information soon. I just don’t know yet.”
Later in the practice, the Vikings had another scare when wide receiver Thayer Thomas went down.
Thomas was on the ground for a few minutes before getting up and walking off by himself.
During this time, O’Connell spoke with Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. O’Connell clarified that the discussion was about ensuring players were hydrated and not related to any aggressive play.
“Not at all,” O’Connell said. “It was a physical practice, as expected, but nothing beyond what we aimed for. It was just good, intense work.”
