A short while ago, I saw this come across my Twitter feed:
#Vikings source tells me "it will be tough" for WR Charles Johnson to play Sunday. Johnson missed practices this week w/ rib injury.
— Britt McHenry (@BrittMcHenry) October 2, 2015
As always, 'sources', so it's not 100% certain. But it looks like the Vikings will be down one of their two top wide receivers for Sunday's game against Denver. So far in the young season, Johnson only has 6 catches for 46 yards, and has yet to find the end zone. That's good enough for third on the team in terms of receptions, behind Mike Wallace and Kyle Rudolph.
With the Vikings passing game struggling to find an identity, this will be a setback for Teddy Bridgewater and the rest of the offense. And with reports that the availability for third wide receiver Jarius Wright might also be in doubt, a challenging task against one of the NFL's best teams, on the road in one of the toughest venues to play, just got a little bit harder.
On the flip side, if this report is accurate, you have to think that Stefon Diggs will be activated for the first time this year, and I, for one, am excited to see what he can do on the field. He has a ton of raw talent, and this could be a golden opportunity for him to step up and get noticed.
You never want to see anyone sidelined with an injury, but as the old saying goes, they aren't going to cancel the game.
Next man up.