How serious are the injuries to Kene Nwangwu and Jalen Nailor?
The Minnesota Vikings have been able to stay relatively healthy during training camp but injuries to Kene Nwangwu and Jalen Nailor could be a factor that determines how the final roster looks ahead of the 2023 season.
Both players did not play in the Vikings preseason opener against Seattle and since teams are not required to issue an injury report, it's unclear how close they are to returning. But Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell offered a soft update in his press conference on Saturday, leaving Vikings fans to speculate on what could be the future of the roster.
Kene Nwangwu
The backfield is one of the most interesting aspects of this year's team as the Vikings are navigating the departure of Dalvin Cook. While Alexander Mattison is locked into the starting role the spots behind him are up in the air, which creates an opportunity for Kene Nwangwu.
Although Nwangwu has served as an elite kick returner in his first two seasons, the NFL's new kickoff rule, which allows teams to call for a fair catch and a touchback inside the 25-yard line, has devalued that role.
This means Nwangwu has had to prove his value in the backfield to earn a spot on the team and the Vikings gave him an opportunity as Nwangwu served as the backup and was moved into various roles during minicamp.
It set the stage for an important training camp for the 25-year-old, but Nwangwu has since been sidelined with an undisclosed injury and did not play in the Vikings' preseason opener Thursday night.
O'Connell didn't give an elaborate update on Nwangwu's status on Saturday but did suggest he was trying to clear the final hurdles toward a return to the field.
"It's one of those things where he's doing everything we're asking of him," O'Connell said. "Just kind of working through kind of the last bit of discomfort there and [we're] hoping to get him back on the grass sooner than later."
Nwangwu's absence currently has the biggest effect on special teams as the Vikings used Chandler and seventh-round rookie DeWayne McBride in the role on Thursday night but neither impressed in their limited sample size.
Still, there has to be a sense of urgency for Nwangwu to return to the field. Chandler became the frontrunner for the backup job after racking up 70 total yards on a team-high 15 touches against Seattle and the Vikings hosted free agent Kareem Hunt on Friday.
Although Hunt left without a deal, it's clear the Vikings are at least considering an upgrade in the backfield, which means Nwangwu needs to return to the field soon if he wants to claim his spot on the depth chart.
Jalen Nailor
While Nwangwu's injury is unknown, O'Connell told reporters that Nailor sustained "a contact leg injury" in the early stages of camp. O'Connell did not give a return date in Saturday's press conference but did say that Nailor was getting "some really positive news as of late."
"Hopefully, he's turning the corner," O'Connell said. "It's one of those things where on initial diagnosis versus what it actually is, the most important thing is a guy like that, who you know, is a tough guy that does everything we asked him to do, he'd probably go back on the field the day after if we gave him that opportunity. But we want him to be healthy [and] we want him to feel good."
Nailor was one of the stars of the offseason for the Vikings as Justin Jefferson sat out amidst negotiations on a new contract and Jordan Addison sat out due to injury. Catching the eye of several reporters, Nailor was positioning himself for a key role on the team but suffered the injury while going up for a ball in training camp.
☝️,✌️
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) May 30, 2023
🙌 @jalennailor pic.twitter.com/PMT7coz8hE
Nailor isn't the only receiver to sustain an injury during Vikings camp as Trishton Jackson also suffered a leg injury during the opening week. Brandon Powell and Jalen Reagor have both been battling for a spot at the back end of the depth chart, but it appears that Nailor's preseason performance has solidified his spot on the roster.
"He had such a good spring as a lot of you guys took note of," O'Connell said on Saturday. "No doubt whenever we can get him back out here...he'll pick right up where he left off. He's been great staying dialed in walkthrough reps, whatever he's been able to get. So the hope is, like any of our guys that aren't at full strength right now...that we can get them [in] there when they're physically ready to go."
When Nailor returns, the Vikings will feature Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and K.J. Osborn in the top three spots and Nailor as the fourth, leaving Reagor, Powell and the rest of the roster to battle for the final one to two spots this preseason.
