Minnesota Vikins: John Sullivan has back surgery, out at least eight weeks
We just can’t have nice things. Just as Minnesota was feeling good about the Minnesota Vikings going into the season opener on Monday night, the team lost another starting offensive lineman for at least a good chunk of the season.
It was announced on Thursday that the team has placed starting center John Sullivan on the injured reserve list with a designation to return. The placement keeps Sullivan out of the Vikings lineup until at least eight weeks.
Sullivan was recovering from a herniated disc in his back, but the Vikings decided it would be better for Sullivan to get surgery now according to 1500ESPN. Sullivan had stated 57 straight games for the purple with that streak starting all the way back in 2011.
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Sullivan is the second Vikings starting offensive lineman to go down before the regular season even begins. Earlier in the preseason, Phil Loadholt was knocked out for the entirety of the 2015 campaign for Minnesota.
With Sullivan gone, Joe Berger will now step in his place and become the starting center for the Vikes. Berger has 38 career starts in the NFL which includes nine from a year ago at right guard with Minnesota.
While the offensive line isn’t exactly the most sexy position group on the field, they are vitally important to a team’s success. It was conceivable to think that the Vikings could do a fairly good job patch working one spot, but now with a second spot gone there is a right for concern. Time will only tell, but the replacements need to keep Teddy Bridgewater alive.
Next: Six things to watch for in the Vikings opener!