Vikings second-year linebacker Anthony Barr had a tough end to his rookie season. After being in the running for NFL Rookie of the Year, he suffered a left knee injury and missed the final four games of the season after being one of the most promising Vikings defensive rookies in some time.
The ninth overall pick in the 2014 NFL draft out of UCLA, Barr still recorded 70 tackles, four sacks, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and a defensive touchdown. Among rookies, he was 11th in tackles, fifth in sacks, third in forced fumbles and first in fumble recoveries.
Barr said the injury, which required surgery, took its toll on him.
"I wanted to be out there and help the team win, and it was frustrating," he said. "Hopefully I can complete this season and maintain my health."
Was building the knee back up difficult?
"No, the rehab part wasn't tough," he said. "It was just, like I said, frustrating. You want to be feeling as close to normal as possible and when it takes longer than you'd like, it becomes mentally barring."
Barr missed practice again Thursday, which is cause for concern, although he said he was feeling better overall. He also said he tried to find some silver lining in missing those final four games last year.
"I'm not sure it hurt too much," he said. "Obviously you want to get those reps and the experience is priceless, but being able to watch mentally and get those mental reps, I felt like that really helped me."