Blake Proehl suffers season-ending knee injury

For the second time this year, a member of the Minnesota Vikings’ wide receiver corps has had their season ended before it even begins because of a non-contact knee injury.

This time, it’s undrafted free agent Blake Proehl, who suffered the injury during Wednesday’s joint practices with the Denver Broncos. Proehl went down while attempting to make a cut in 1-on-1 drills when his knee buckled. He was carted off of the field and, while the nature of the injury has not yet been disclosed, this post from his Instagram speaks to the seriousness of it.

The message from Proehl says

Sometimes God allows things to happen in your life because you were built to withstand the storm. I have put everything I have into this game. Every ounce of love and passion has been poured into my craft and my goals, but I understand that there are times like these that shine brighter for his greater purpose. I hope that my story will inspire others and show that anything is possible. Road to recovery starts now. #skol

Proehl is the son of longtime NFL wide receiver Ricky Proehl. After starring at the University of East Carolina, Proehl went undrafted this past April and signed with the Vikings as a free agent. Proehl received the most money of any of Minnesota’s UDFA class this year, an indication that the team thought he could potentially have a real opportunity to contribute.

The Vikings lost receiver Bisi Johnson to a similar injury a little more than a week ago in a similar manner. Johnson went down with a non-contact injury during a drill and the tests later revealed a torn ACL that ended his 2021 season.

Here’s hoping for a speedy recovery for Blake Proehl and a chance for him to potentially make a run at making the Vikings in 2022.