Vikings special teams receive a major boost upon return of their ace

The Minnesota Vikings are no strangers to injuries. The defense has seen a lot of them, especially at cornerback. Pair that with tight end T.J. Hockenson still recovering from his torn ACL and you have a roster that is hurting more than you'd prefer.

The Vikings are getting good news on the injury front. Cornerback Shaquill Griffin returned to practice on the same day that Stephon Gilmore signed with the Vikings and debuted on the practice field.

Those weren't the only returns for the Vikings on Monday. They also saw special teams ace NaJee Thompson get cleared and returned to practice. The news was initially reported by SKOR North's Judd Zulgad .

Thompson doesn't play anything other than special teams for the Vikings but he's really good at that one element of the game. His passion for football is ignited by special teams and it was evident from his first preseason game when he made a brilliant tackle as a punt gunner.

His presence will help solidify multiple special teams units that could use some stabilizing, especially on punt returns where the Vikings have allowed two longer returns already.

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