Cornerback Cameron Dantzler will begin his second Vikings season on the sideline.
Vikings-Bengals inactives: Cameron Dantzler a healthy scratch to begin second season
Dantzler, the 2020 third-round pick, won't play during Sunday's regular season opener in Cincinnati after being surpassed on the depth chart this offseason.
September 12, 2021 at 4:08PM
Dantzler, the 2020 third-round pick, is a healthy scratch and will not play Sunday against the Bengals after being surpassed on the depth chart this summer. Coach Mike Zimmer opted to go with cornerbacks Patrick Peterson, Bashaud Breeland, Mackensie Alexander, Kris Boyd and Harrison Hand over Dantzler.
The writing was on the wall for Dantzler this preseason, when Boyd started over him during exhibitions. Hand also offers coaches versatility as a slot defender and special teams contributor.
Linebacker Nick Vigil was a 2016 third-round pick by the Bengals, spent his first four NFL seasons in Cincinnati, and returns Sunday to play an every-down role for his new team.
Vigil is expected to play every snap with linebacker Eric Kendricks, replacing Pro Bowl linebacker Anthony Barr, who has practiced once in the past month due to an ailing knee. Vigil signed a one-year deal with the Vikings in free agency to compete for the No. 3 job vacated by Eric Wilson, but he'll be asked to do even more to start the season.
"We ran this defense in Cincinnati my first couple years, so I was pretty familiar but just a little rusty," Vigil said Friday. "It took a little time to get it down again, but as time goes on, the more reps you get and the more comfortable you get."
Barr and left tackle Christian Darrisaw (groin) were the only Vikings players ruled out for the opener due to injury. The Bengals will be without cornerback Trae Waynes, the former Vikings first-round pick who is dealing with a hamstring injury.
Linebacker Blake Lynch is expected to start for Barr in the base defense.
Quarterback Sean Mannion and running back Ameer Abdullah were elevated from the practice squad this week. Mannion, who re-signed with the Vikings on Sept. 2 after preseason roster cuts, will be the backup to Kirk Cousins.
In a COVID-era rule, every NFL team can elevate two practice squad players to the gameday active roster (expanding available players from 46 to 48), so long as eight of those players are offensive linemen.
Vikings' inactives: Barr (knee), Darrisaw (groin), Dantzler, QB Kellen Mond, TE Ben Ellefson, DE Patrick Jones II, and DT James Lynch
Bengals' inactives: Waynes (hamstring), CB Nick McCloud, DT Tyler Shelvin, OT Fred Johnson, and G D'Ante Smith
Andrew Krammer is joined by Matthew Coller of Purple Insider to discuss the Vikings offense, what they think of Justin Fields and the Bears, and they talk what's been expected and unexpected through four games.
