Agent: Vikings OL Easton (neck) likely out for season

Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Nick Easton is likely to miss the entire 2018 season after undergoing neck surgery.

Easton was sidelined last Friday but remained in Minnesota awaiting the results of a second opinion. Agent Joe Linta told ESPN on Thursday that Easton underwent surgery and would be on the shelf this season.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said Easton will be put on injured reserve, though he wouldn't divulge any further information on the injury.

"Nothing really happened, he's just got a bulging disk but I'm not going to talk about it," Zimmer said.

Easton started at left guard for the Vikings last season but was working mostly at center before the injury last week. Easton moved because starting center Pat Elflein is on the physically unable to perform list recovering from shoulder and ankle injuries. Right guard Mike Remmers, a third starter, has been limited since July 31 because of an ankle injury.

When asked his plans for replacing Easton, Zimmer didn't offer any specific names, though he noted Saturday's preseason opener against the Denver Broncos would help offer an idea as to where things stand.

"You're always looking at who they're going against but you're also looking at their technique and how they do against that particular guy," Zimmer said. "We'll get a couple days against Jacksonville next week, another good football team. By the end of these next two weeks or the week after that we should be able to have a pretty good evaluation of where we are on some of the guys."

--Field Level Media