It appears that Minnesota will be enduring their 2018 campaign without offensive lineman Nick Easton. The lineman will miss the coming season due to a neck injury.
The good news out of the injury is that it is not career-threatening. Easton will have to sit for now, but it will pan out in the long run as he will not have to retire from his days on the field. His team will be suffering from his loss of play, because he would have been starting at left guard in 2018.
ESPN Insider Adam Schefter brought the news to light on social media via Twitter on Thursday morning.
Vikings’ G Nick Easton underwent surgery this morning to correct a herniated disc in his neck and his season is likely over, per his agent Joe Linta. But it is not expected to be a career-ending injury.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 9, 2018
This injury is occurring to a Vikings squad that is already thin at the offensive line. Guard Joe Berger just retired after last year, center Pat Elflein was already on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list. Tackle Mike Remmers is also missing time with an ankle injury. It will be a tough time for Kirk Cousins, Dalvin Cook and the Vikings backfield, without the help up front.
The team last year managed to produce one of the best records in football, coming in at 13-3. The reached the NFC championship game, and were so close to meeting the Patriots in the Super Bowl, but fell to the greatest backup QB, Nick Foles and the intense Philly Defense. A sizeable amount of production revolved around the O-line, as the team recorded 2115 yards, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. That ranked 3rd in the league, only behind Dallas and Jacksonville.
The replacement for Easton will be Tom Compton, who practiced with the team on Friday. He will be playing alongside another practice squad member, Cornelius Edison, and center Danny Isidora will start at right guard. It certainly brings a lot of questions for the offensive production this year, but hopefully, the skilled positions can help bail out the younger lineman. The defense will always be ready in Minnesota, so we will see how their season unfolds.
Featured Image via Wikipedia
