The Vikings will place defensive tackle Tom Johnson on injured reserve after he suffered a torn hamstring on Sunday against the Colts, reports Tom Pelissero of USA Today (Twitter link).
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Johnson, 32, becomes the latest Viking to be sent to injured reserve in what is quickly becoming a lost Minnesota season, as he joins Teddy Bridgewater, Adrian Peterson (who has since returned), Matt Kalil, Andre Smith, Sharrif Floyd, and others who have been sidelined this season. In the midst of his third season with the Vikings, Johnson has appeared in all 14 games, playing on slightly more than half the club’s defensive snaps while posting two sacks, grading as the league’s No. 47 interior defender among 126 qualifiers, per Pro Football Focus. Johnson is signed through 2017, but Minnesota wouldn’t incur any dead money by cutting him during the offseason.
With Johnson out, Shamar Stephen will continue to see more snaps next to Linval Joseph, while the Vikings could add another defensive tackle in the coming days.