New Vikings Tight End John Carlson Sidelined by MCL Injury

The Minnesota Vikings' big free agent from this past offseason will be sidelined.

While it wasn't as big of an inquisition as Denver getting Peyton Manning, John Carlson was the Minnesota Vikings' "big" free agent signing this offseason; added to aid Kyle Rudolph and help create a two tight end threat for the Vikings offense. Coaches and fans will now have to wait to see how this addition to the offensive scheme will play out.

Tuesday (July 31) during practice, Carlson endured an MCL sprain, which will keep him off the practice field and out of preseason action for about a month. Trainers believe he should be recovered in time to start in the regular season opener against Jacksonville if all goes well. While this is good news, he will miss out on valuable time getting acquainted with a new team and new offense; which could be a big setback to his production this season.

Carlson had a standout rookie season, but dealt with injuries last year with the Seahawks. The promise he showed in his first year in the NFL is what grabbed the attention of Vikings officials as they looked to add an offensive weapon.