Michael

Jurgens

Jurgens will miss at least four games while on injured reserve. He appeared in 15 games last year and made three starts. Joe Huber will back up Blake Brandel to start the year.

McCarthy was expected to practice late last week, but some inclement weather on Friday kept the QB sidelined out of precaution. In addition to McCarthy, O’Connell also said LG Donovan Jackson, C Michael Jurgens, and LB Blake Cashman are also expected to practice after the team’s Week 6 bye. With a Week 7 game against the Eagles on the horizon, the hope is that the Vikings will have several key players back in a pivotal NFC matchup.

In addition to Kelly, backup center Michael Jurgens (hamstring) has also been ruled out. The Vikings will also be out RT Brian O’Neill (knee) and LG Donovan Jackson (wrist), leaving the offensive line particularly thin against a physical Browns defensive front that’s led by Myles Garrett. With a Week 6 bye on the horizon, the Vikings will hope a week away will give their team plenty of time to heal up once they return stateside.

Jurgens (6'4/311) was a three-year starter for Wake Forest, and he was a productive performer for the Demon Deacons in 2023 while earning 2nd-team All-ACC honors. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein notes his strengths being his ability to bounce from block-to-block with strong hand placement, but also notes he’ll get pulled off his base too easily with below-average core strength.