The temperatures cooled at TCO Performance Center in Eagan, but tempers flared as players pressed on into the third week of training camp.
A testy Tuesday practice ended with a brief scuffle, reserve defensive lineman Jalen Redmond getting thrown out of practice, and no sign of the two players who received massive contract extensions this offseason.
Receiver Justin Jefferson missed Tuesday’s practice due to a personal matter, a team spokesperson said. Left tackle Christian Darrisaw was at the team’s facility, but he was held out for an undisclosed reason.
The two absences stood out for a Vikings team that is already practicing without starting cornerback Shaq Griffin (hamstring), tight end Robert Tonyan (back) and defensive lineman Jerry Tillery, who was carted off the field during the team’s previous practice on Saturday. Cornerback Mekhi Blackmon is on injured reserve due to a torn ACL suffered during the first camp practice last month.
Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell said Tillery’s injury won’t be a long-term issue.
“[Tillery] did get a pretty significant laceration kind of on the back of his leg, lower calf area,” O’Connell said before Tuesday’s practice. “Although very concerning, he’s going to be fully recovered. He did have to get a couple stitches on that, but ... he’ll be back.”
Two reserves — inside linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill and guard Dalton Risner — also were not spotted at Tuesday’s practice.
Who’s playing Saturday?
O’Connell won’t reveal the plan for Saturday’s preseason opener against the Raiders at U.S. Bank Stadium until Thursday, by which time he’ll have informed quarterbacks Sam Darnold and J.J. McCarthy, among his other players, whether they’re playing and how much they’ll play.