Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman lands on injured reserve because of hamstring injury

The Vikings defense will be without one of their leading tacklers until next month.

Linebacker Blake Cashman was placed on injured reserve Thursday and will be out until at least the Oct. 19 game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Cashman strained a hamstring on Monday night in Chicago.

Cashman, the Eden Prairie and former Gophers player, appeared to suffer the injury while chasing down Bears quarterback Caleb Williams in the third quarter of the Vikings’ 27-24 victory.

Linebacker Eric Wilson, the ninth-year veteran who entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Vikings in 2017, replaced Cashman and is expected to play an increased role over the next four games.

“He’s as professional and mature as any guy I’ve been around, and he can play some football,” defensive coordinator Brian Flores said of Wilson. “I just think he’s got a real instinctive, innate feel to the game. I think we saw that on Monday night.”

“It was a seamless transition,” Flores added. “Obviously, it’s tough to lose Cash, but I think everyone knows what a big part of this defense he is.”

Wilson will handle at least some share of the green dot duties, wearing the helmet with a direct line of communication to the coaching staff. He took over that duty in-game Monday night when Cashman exited late in the third quarter. He said Wednesday that he’s done it in other games, too, along with in practice and throughout camp this season.

Cashman, who signed a three-year, $22.5 million deal to return home to Minnesota in 2024, has had a frustrating history of injuries. He overcame a tough three years with the New York Jets to begin his NFL career, in which he appeared in just 14 games. Cashman has played at least 14 games in each of the past three seasons, missing three games because of turf toe last year. Despite missing those games, Cashman finished as the Vikings’ leading tackler in his first season in Minnesota.

Running back Ty Chandler is also headed to injured reserve due to a knee injury that he played through in Chicago. Per NFL rules, any player on IR must miss a minimum of four games. With the Vikings’ Week 6 bye, that means they will miss at least five weeks.

Special teams coordinator Matt Daniels named three candidates — running back Zavier Scott, receiver Tai Felton and cornerback Isaiah Rodgers — to replace Chandler as a kickoff returner next to receiver Myles Price.

Daniels revealed that Chandler injured his knee on the opening kickoff in Chicago, but he stayed in the game until returning the last kickoff.

“He didn’t come to me until really the end of the second quarter,” Daniels said, “telling me, ‘Look, [Matt], I’m giving you everything I got, but my knee is messed up.’ I’m like, ‘Have you told anybody?’”

The Vikings promoted two players, receiver Tim Jones and tight end Nick Vannett, from the practice squad. Tight end Josh Oliver did not practice Wednesday due to an ankle injury.

The team also signed cornerback Tyrek Funderburk and linebacker Sione Takitaki to fill out the practice squad.

Emily Leiker of the Minnesota Star Tribune contributed reporting.