The Minnesota Vikings may have to play without star receiver Adam Thielen on Saturday against the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs due to an ankle injury suffered in practice Wednesday.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, “Thielen needed stitches for a bad cut on his ankle” during Wednesday’s practice. He notes that “the initial prognosis was encouraging for Saturday’s game,” but says the Vikings are “still gathering information and will proceed with caution.”
It sure sounds like Thielen could at least be on a limited snap count if he is going to play at all this weekend against the 49ers. That’s a tough blow to the Vikings, who have struggled a bit on offense with Thielen out of the lineup at times this season.
When healthy, Thielen is one of the best receivers in the NFL. Unfortunately, injuries have defined his 2019 season so far. Appearing in 10 regular-season games, he tallied 30 catches for 418 yards and six touchdowns. During the team’s stunning wild-card win over the New Orleans Saints, he was superb, hauling in seven passes for 129 yards.