Sam Darnold downplays knee injury but testing still needed

The Minnesota Vikings continue to shock the NFL world this season. Not only are they 3-0 to start the year, but they did so after completely blowing out the Houston Texans 34-7 in Week 3. Credit can be given to quarterback Sam Darnold, who played exceptionally well after being named the starter entering the season. Darnold's security as the starter increased after rookie J.J. McCarthy suffered a season-ending knee injury in the preseason.

Darnold threw for 181 yards and four touchdowns in the victory. However, there was an injury scare for Darnold after he got hit low by Texans pass rusher and former Viking Danielle Hunter. Darnold briefly left the game to get checked out by medical personnel before returning to the game after just one play.

While Darnold seemingly avoided a serious injury, he isn't out of the woods just yet.

Darnold told Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk that while his knee feels good, he is going to get an MRI on Monday.

Sam Darnold undergoing MRI on Monday for knee injury

Vikings fans will undoubtedly be glued to their phones on Monday waiting for official word about Darnold's MRI results.

Considering the Vikings already lost McCarthy for the season, the last thing they needed was to see Darnold get sidelined by injury. If he were to miss time, then the Vikings would turn to Nick Mullens, who is the current backup on the depth chart. The Vikings also have Brett Rypien as their third-string option.

Through the first three games of the season, Darnold has thrown for 657 yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions while completing 68.0 percent of his passes.

The Vikings are 3-0 on the year and heading into a big rivalry matchup against the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. Without Darnold, Minnesota's chances do take a hit. We'll have to wait and see what the test results reveal regarding Darnold's knee injury.

UPDATE (Sept. 23): NFL Network's Tom Pelissero broke the news that the MRI revealed that Darnold is dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee, but there is no structural damage. Darnold isn't expected to miss any time.