Vikings linebacker Blake Cashman will miss time; safety Harrison Smith calls return ‘fluid’

The Vikings left Chicago with a win on Monday night but didn’t escape unscathed.

Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said Wednesday that linebacker Blake Cashman and running back Ty Chandler will each “miss some time” with injuries sustained in the opener.

O’Connell said he plans on both returning but does not have an exact timeline.

Cashman, who suffered a hamstring injury, did not return to the game. Eric Wilson took over his duties with the green-dot helmet, which receives in-game communication from coaching staff.

Chandler (knee) did play through the end, returning a crucial kickoff late in the fourth quarter to help seal the victory.

“Ty is so tough,” O’Connell said. “He’s one of those people that you’re not surprised when you kind of hear about it in detail the next day of like, this could be something that causes him to miss a little bit of time. That’s how tough he is. He wasn’t coming off the field in any capacity.”

Additionally, O’Connell said outside linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel and cornerback Jeff Okudah were pulled from the game and put in concussion protocol. They will be evaluated throughout the short week ahead of Sunday night’s home opener against the Atlanta Falcons.

Smith returned to practice in a limited capacity last week and was originally doubtful for Monday’s game before being downgraded to out and not traveling.

“Just trying to get my conditioning back up, and that’s it,” Smith said, adding later that he expects the bounce-back to be quick but has never dealt with this specific situation before.

Smith said he wasn’t away from the facility for long; he just wasn’t on the practice field.

The Vikings did not place Smith on injured reserve when they set their 53-man roster, which would have required him to miss four games.

“We’re kind of fluid with if I’m ready to go or not,” Smith said. “Am I going to help the team or not? That’s all that matters.”

The Vikings play their home opener at U.S. Bank Stadium on “Sunday Night Football” against the Falcons, and quarterback J.J. McCarthy said he is looking forward to a quieter environment on offense.

“That’s something that’s gonna be great,” McCarthy said. “Able to operate clean and crisp where everyone knows what they’re doing and there’s no miscommunication.”

Running back Aaron Jones acknowledged the benefit of the quiet at home, too, noting how quickly the play clock starts to tick down when 11 guys are having to say, “What’d you say?” to each other pre-snap, as was the case in Chicago.

Soldier Field was loud early on Monday night as Bears quarterback Caleb Williams had a hot start and the Bears defense forced two three-and-outs on the Vikings.

O’Connell admitted some surprise over just how boisterous the environment was.

The Vikings do not play another true road game until they appear on “Thursday Night Football” Oct. 23 against the Chargers in Inglewood, Calif.

Their only other road games between now and then are their back-to-back international ones in Dublin against the Steelers and in London against the Browns.

After leading the Vikings to a 27-24 fourth-quarter comeback win against the Bears on Monday night, McCarthy was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

McCarthy was 13 of 20 passing for 143 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for another 14-yard score on a read-option. He threw one interception, which was returned for a touchdown by Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright.

McCarthy is the first quarterback since Steve Young in 1985 to overcome a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter and win in regulation of his NFL debut. He’s the first with at least two passing touchdowns and one rushing TD in his debut since Cam Newton in 2011.