Sharrif Floyd's left knee was more sore than expected after being injured in the Minnesota Vikings' first preseason game on Friday, but a magnetic resonance imaging test done Sunday came back clean on the rookie defensive tackle's knee.
Floyd underwent the MRI after showing up Sunday with soreness after Saturday's off day. Floyd, taken with the Minnesota's first pick in the draft's first round at No. 23 overall, was injured Friday and attended to by athletic trainers on the field, but walked off under his own power and moved well on the sideline afterward as the knee was tested.
Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said Friday that Floyd could have returned, but he was held out for the rest of Friday's 27-13 loss to the Houston Texans. Floyd played 15 defensive snaps and was credited with one tackle for loss and one pass deflection.
"(I'm) not overly concerned by everything I have been told," Frazier said Sunday. "It's just sore so we want to err on the side of caution. He fell on the knee, he was pretty sore this morning. The fact that he was (more sore) than he was yesterday made us decide that we need to make sure there is nothing else going on there. Other than the fact that he is sore we are not overly concerned."
Later, Floyd told the Associated Press that the MRI didn't show any damage and he'll be ready to return to practice as soon as he's cleared by the team.
"No worries on my part," Floyd told the AP. "At the end of the day, it's (coach Leslie Frazier's) call, not mine."
Floyd suffered the injury when he was hit low in the second quarter.
"I knew it was OK right after it happened," Floyd said Sunday. "I knew there was no problem."
Frazier said cornerback Jacob Lacey, signed in the offseason from the Detroit Lions and competing for one of the final roster spots, is going to have arthroscopic surgery done on his knee and will be out two to four weeks. Frazier said defensive tackle Christian Ballard (groin) was still sore with a lingering groin injury. He didn't finish Friday's game and missed practice Sunday. Linebacker Audie Cole (ankle) also missed practice, according to the Associated Press.
Linebacker Desmond Bishop (groin) and cornerbacks Xavier Rhodes (hamstring) and A.J. Jefferson (knee) returned to practice Sunday. Bishop and Rhodes had returned in a limited capacity last week, but were held out of Friday's game. Jefferson hadn't practiced in nearly a week.
Backup offensive lineman Joe Berger returned after missing a week because of a death in his family.
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