Heading into Week 12, it feels like the Minnesota Vikings need a win if they want any shot of finding their way into the postseason. Unfortunately for them, a difficult matchup against the Green Bay Packers looms, and things got even more difficult after the team received a tough injury update regarding star defensive lineman Jonathan Greenard.
The Vikings have been battling injuries on defense all season long, and Greenard has been battling a shoulder injury as of late, which caused him to miss the team’s Week 11 loss to the Chicago Bears. Minnesota could desperately use Greenard on the field Sunday afternoon, but it sounds like he will be stuck on the sidelines once again.
Jonathan Greenard Set to Be Inactive for Vikings in Week 12
After putting together a breakout campaign in 2023 with the Houston Texans that saw him rack up a career-high 12.5 sacks, Greenard earned a four-year, $76 million contract from the Vikings in free agency. He was even better in 2024, racking up 59 tackles, 12 sacks, four fumbles forced, and three pass deflections while starting all 17 games for his new squad.
Greenard hasn’t been as productive for Minnesota this season, as he has 31 tackles but just two sacks through nine games. It certainly hasn’t helped that there’s been a revolving door of players lining up alongside Greenard, and now, he’s become the latest player to fall victim to the injury bug for the Vikings.
A shoulder injury has been bugging Greenard as of late, and he missed his first game of the season in week 11. The hope was that Greenard would be able to return and play against the Packers, considering how important a contest it is shaping up to be for Minnesota. Instead, it appears he will end up missing his second straight game because of this ailment.
“Vikings Pro Bowl OLB Jonathan Greenard will be inactive today against the Packers, coach Kevin O’Connell just told me. Second straight game Greenard has missed because of a shoulder injury,” Tom Pelissero of NFL Network shared in a post on X.
Vikings Face Tall Task in Week 12 Without Jonathan Greenard
GettyMinnesota Vikings edge rusher Jonathan Greenard
Beating the Packers was already going to be tough, but doing so without Greenard is going to make things even more difficult. While he hasn’t gotten to the quarterback all that consistently this year, Greenard is still a player the opposing teams need to consistently account for. With Green Bay struggling to protect Jordan Love at times this year, this could have been the perfect game for Greenard to make a big impact.
Instead, he won’t be on the field with the rest of his teammates, which is a tough pill to swallow. At 6-3-1, the Packers are a strong team, although they have been susceptible to getting beaten by inferior squads. If J.J. McCarthy and the offense can move the ball on a consistent basis, Minnesota could pull off the upset. Kickoff for this important NFC North matchup is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon.
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