Vikings' Wednesday injury report includes five DNPs, Hockenson limited

The Vikings are still a bit banged up coming out of their bye week.

Oct 4, 2024; Watford, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones (33) during practice at The Grove. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Five Vikings players did not participate in Wednesday's practice: RB Aaron Jones (hip/hamstring), LB Blake Cashman (toe), DT Harrison Phillips (shoulder), OLB Pat Jones II (shoulder), and CB Akayleb Evans (hip). Their statuses are all up in the air for Sunday's game against the Lions, so we'll learn more from the team's injury reports on Thursday and Friday.

The two Vikings players who are still on injured reserve but have been designated to return — TE T.J. Hockenson and G Dalton Risner — were listed as limited participants, which is encouraging. Hockenson still seems unlikely to play this week and Risner almost certainly won't, but their returns to action are getting closer.

First #Vikings injury report of the week pic.twitter.com/irs1LDRpwY

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 16, 2024

Jones said he hopes to practice on Thursday and see how he feels, which could determine if he's able to play on Sunday. He's dealing with a hip injury (though it's deemed a hamstring on the injury report) that flared up in the London game.

Related: Kevin O’Connell on Cashman, Hockenson, Aaron Jones, trade deadline approach

"I kind of felt it a little bit before the game," he said on Wednesday. "Got hit on a play, felt like my foot kind of got caught, and that was the end of it for me that week. They were like 'Hey, let's not make it any worse. We want you out there, we want to have you for the long run, so it's not worth going back out there right now.'"

Jones spent the bye week getting all kinds of treatment done in the hopes of making a quick return to the field. "That week of rest, this is week two into it, has done a lot for me," he said. If Jones can't play, the Vikings' backfield would be led by Ty Chandler, Cam Akers, and Myles Gaskin.

Cashman is reportedly unlikely to play on Sunday, which would mean expanded roles for Ivan Pace Jr. and Kamu Grugier-Hill. We'll see about Phillips and Jones, who are important players in the Vikings' defensive front.

The Lions are healthier on their active roster going into this game, although they'll obviously be without superstar pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson, who is on season-ending IR. CB Carlton Davis (quad) was their only injury-related DNP of note on Wednesday.

Vikings-Lions Wednesday injury report. / Minnesota Vikings