JUST IN: The $12 million Vikings breakout star of the season……

Edge rusher D.J. Wonnum of the Minnesota Vikings left Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions with an injury that

has ruined the season for his squad.

On Monday, December 25, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said that Wonnum will probably miss the rest of the season

due to a torn quad.

Rapoport said on X (previously Twitter) that “Vikings OLB DJ Wonnum, in the midst of a career year with 62 tackles

and 8 sacks, suffered a partially torn quad, source said, an indication he’s played his last down this season.”

With Marcus Davenport on injured reserve, Wonnum, a 2020 fourth-round pick, earned a starting position this

season and set career highs in tackles (62), sacks (8.0), tackles for loss (7), and quarterback hits (15).

One of the only young players to succeed in purple and gold despite three changes in defense schemes in four years,

Wonnum is set to become a free agent soon.

More than The Cap estimated that Wonnum’s season-long efforts were worth a $12.14 million contract, an amount

the Vikings will probably have to meet in order to sign him this offseason.

You understand how important D.J. is to our group. “I think he hasn’t received enough recognition for the year he’s

had,” head coach Kevin O’Connell remarked at a news conference following the game.

Four Vikings players were out on Sunday due to injuries: tight end T.J. Hockenson (knee), cornerback Mekhi

Blackmon (shoulder), and wide receiver Jordan Addison (ankle).

On Monday, December 25, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said that Addison is also questionable week to week and that

Hockenson is probably out for the season.

After the loss, the Vikings have a 19.7% chance of making the playoffs, per ESPN’s Power Index.

This season, injuries have decimated Minnesota’s dressing room, but O’Connell insisted that the Vikings will win.

One thing about our guys, you know, is that we have the appropriate kind of guys. This group is the closest-knit one

I’ve encountered. This is why it hurts when you lose like this. It also takes a lot to keep going and push through when

three or four of their brothers suffer what may be serious injuries, according to O’Connell. “I believed that the guys

attempted to do that during the football game.”

Here’s proof, if you needed it, that the Vikings have persevered despite having the worst luck of any team this season.

Based on fumble recoveries, field goal success, interceptions, and dropped passes, NFL Football Operations created a

“luck metric” and discovered that, after 15 weeks of play, the Vikings have had the worst luck of any team.

The Buffalo Bills are the next closest team with a -101.2% mark in the luck measure, behind Minnesota’s -188.4%

mark.

The statistic does not take injuries into consideration, but if it did, the Vikings’ season would be made worse.

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