Gordon Out; Williams Could Return Soon

The prognosis isn’t devastating for cornerback Charles Gordon, but he isn’t likely to see action anytime soon. Meanwhile, Pat Williams could return to practice soon.

No Vikings were heavily harmed in the making of their practice with the Kansas City Chiefs Friday evening, but cornerback Charles Gordon was walking with crutches and a wrapped knee.

Gordon injured his knee in practice Thursday when he said his foot just got caught in the grass.

“I just planted and it didn’t feel right. I can (put pressure on it), I’m just trying to keep pressure off of it and that’s why I’m on crutches,” he said. “I just messed my knee up a little bit. I’m just taking it day-by-day.”

While Gordon said he would “definitely” be back, head coach Brad Childress said the cornerback is probably out for the duration of the preseason.

“He has a cartilage issue in there. I believe he’s going to have a procedure on Monday just to kind of clean it out. He had a little something in college, and it kind of locked up on him,” Childress said. “He was having a great camp, and I was anxious to see him in the preseason, but that’s this game. He’ll rehab it. There are a lot of things they can do to get you well, and if you work at that, you can get back onto the football field.”

The outlook for defensive tackle Pat Williams might be a little brighter.

Williams failed his conditioning physical prior to the veterans starting training camp, and the team immediately placed him on the physically-unable-to-perform list. That means he has been conditioning on the side and isn’t allowed to practice with the team.

Throwing the big nose tackle into a scrimmage situation wouldn’t have been a good idea, Childress said.

“He’s coming along. I had a good conversation with him today, and I think he understands where I’m coming from, and I understand where he’s coming from. He has his nose to the grindstone, and put in his time this afternoon,” Childress said. “I’m just looking at where we’re at practice-wise, and when we’re scrimmaging coming up, I don’t think it’s fair to reintroduce him on a day where we’re really tumbling around in there. He has to build that football conditioning too. Hopefully not too far into the future.”
SATURDAY NOTES
* Marcus Robinson will miss practice today due to a death in his a family.
* Tony Richardson has been excused from practice to attend the Hall of Fame ceremonies, in particular to support friend and former Chiefs teammate Warren Moon.