Vikings injury updates: Minnesota set to welcome back three key starters in Week 3

The Minnesota Vikings are going to be getting some much-needed help for the Week 3 game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that left tackle Christian Darrisaw (knee), safety Harrison Smith (illness) and outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel (concussion) are all expected to play on Sunday despite their questionable tags.

For Darrisaw and Smith, they will be making their 2025 debuts after neither played in the first two games. Darrisaw has been recovering a torn MCL and ACL that was suffered in 2024, while Smith has been dealing with a "personal health issue."

“I’m just going to get out there and see how much I can handle and go from there. I’ve already moved around," Smith said during the week. "Moving around well. It’s just volume, conditioning, stuff like that."

Van Ginkel, on the other hand, played in the Week 1 contest versus the Chicago Bears but suffered a concussion during the game, forcing his early exit. The Vikings defender did not play in Week 2.

Minnesota's offensive line has struggled through two games, with the unit giving up a total of nine sacks in that span. Darrisaw's return will help things, although it's fair to wonder if he'll be playing with some rust in his first game back.

Darrisaw's return comes in the same week that the Vikings will be without second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy, who is out with an ankle injury.

The Vikings had the fifth-best scoring defense in 2024, but they've been a middle-of-the-road defense in that category to start 2025. The returns of Van Ginkel and Smith are crucial as a result.

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