John Carlson placed on injured reserve
Minnesota Vikings tight end John Carlson (89) is tackled by Chicago Bears safety Craig Steltz (20) during the third quarter at Mall of America Field at H.H.H. Metrodome. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports
Minnesota Vikings 29-year-old tight end John Carlson was a promising player early in his career for the Seattle Seahawks, but, unfortunately, he couldn’t bank on that promise. Now a solid No. 2 TE for the Vikings behind talented starter Kyle Rudolph, Carlson has been doing a nice job of starting in place of the injured Rudolph, but his season is over.
The Vikings announced that they have placed Carlson on the injured reserve, and it’s a swift move that was honestly expected. Carlson suffered a concussion in Week 14 against the Baltimore Ravens, and he was held out of last week’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Vikings cleared Carlson earlier this week, but his concussion symptoms recently resurfaced.
It’s another sad story, too, because Carlson has struggled with concussions throughout his career. In fact, this latest issue could end up finishing Carlson’s career, as he is reportedly considering retirement. He’s already going to miss the final two games of the regular season against the Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions, and it’s definitely all for the best. Hopefully Carlson can get past his concussion issues but as sad as it is to say, retiring might be the best course of action for him. And I mean, that’s why he’s considering retirement in the first place despite his age and decent play.