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Vikings lose LB Anthony Barr for season with torn pectoral muscle

The Minnesota Vikings didn’t just lose to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, they lost a member of their linebacking corps.

Head coach Mike Zimmer announced on Monday that linebacker Anthony Barr is headed to injured reserve after tearing his pectoral muscle. He’ll miss the rest of the 2020 season.

Barr, a 28-year-old four-time Pro Bowler, injured his shoulder in the second quarter of the Vikings’ 28-11 loss to the Colts. He left the game and did not return, and further evaluation on Monday revealed the tear.

The Vikings didn’t have any more linebackers at one point on Sunday, according to Zimmer.

“We ran out of linebackers there for a little bit,” Zimmer said to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Troy Dye got hurt, and so we were scrambling there for a little bit, in the second quarter I guess it was.”

Anthony Barr catches a pass during training camp.
Anthony Barr is out for the rest of the season after tearing his pectoral muscle. (Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)

Dye, also a linebacker, was sidelined for a short time with an ankle injury. With both of them out, Ryan Connelly made his debut just two weeks after joining the team. Dye returned to the game in the third quarter and replaced Barr.

Barr’s absence this season doesn’t just mean that they’ll need a replacement linebacker (who is expected to be Dye). Barr is also the wearer of the all-important in-helmet microphone and relays plays to the huddle. At this point, it’s not known who will be taking over that responsibility while Barr is out.

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