Minnesota Vikings: 3 Players that must shine vs. Packers in Week 2
3. Jayron Kearse
One player that will have to stand up within the Minnesota Vikings defense in the Week 2 game against Green Bay on the road is defensive back Jayron Kearse. Kearse, who is in his fourth season in the NFL and with the Vikings, will likely see himself play a larger role at defensive back in the Week 2 game against the Packers at Lambeau Field.
With Minnesota starting cornerback Mackensie Alexander getting injured in the win over Atlanta in the regular-season opener and likely forced to miss some time, Kearse could receive more playing time within the stellar Vikings defensive group in the game against one of their biggest rivals.
More from NFL Spin Zone
- Dallas Cowboys made the trade everyone else should have made
- Pittsburgh Steelers rookie sleeper everyone should be talking about
- Anthony Richardson putting jaw-dropping talent on display immediately
- Denver Broncos’ stud wide receiver might be out for a while
- Washington Commanders: Three takeaways from win over Ravens
Alexander, who suffered a dislocated elbow against the Falcons at US Bank Stadium, could miss the next few weeks while recovering from the injury. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer didn’t rule Alexander out for the Week 2 contest, but Alexander hasn’t practiced yet this week for Minnesota leading up to Sunday’s game and it’s not looking very promising that he plays in the divisional matchup.
Kearse, who was drafted by the Vikings in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft, could end up making his debut as a starter for Minnesota in a rough road matchup this week.
In the win over the Falcons in Week 1, Kearse finished the game with six solo tackles and two tackle assists to come to a total of eight tackles on defense for the Vikings. He also recorded one pass deflection in the contest.
A season ago, Kearse appeared in all 16 games for Minnesota in his third professional season, not starting in any of those games. He finished the year with 27 solo tackles and five assist tackles to combine for a total of 32 tackles.
On Sunday against Green Bay, Kearse could find himself playing a larger role within Minnesota’s defense than what he has been used to in the last few years and maybe even throughout his career to this point.
But the young defensive back will have to step up and shine for the Vikings to fill in for Alexander potentially missing some time during the next few weeks.