Vikings' Ifeadi Odenigbo using his 'Fools Gold' tweet as motivation

Vikings defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo compared his Twitter reaction to the team's trade for Yannick Ngakoue to a moment in ESPN's "Last Dance" documentary when Michael Jordan fabricated a slight from an opponent to motivate himself.

"That's kind of why I did it, just to kind of fuel myself," Odenigbo said in his first interview since tweeting "Fools Gold" upon learning that the Vikings had traded for Ngakoue, one of the top young defensive ends in the league.

At the time, with Vikings coach Mike Zimmer sticking to his story that his other starting end, Danielle Hunter, wasn't seriously injured, Odenigbo was believed to have been the odd man out heading into Sunday's season opener against the Packers at U.S. Bank Stadium.

"I was going in as the right side defensive end, and I was thinking like, 'All right. Yep. I'm going in. I'm going in. I'm going in,'" said Odenigbo. "But it was kind of an illusion. I think everyone took that [tweet] out of context."

Perhaps because Odenigbo didn't provide any. Not until explaining Friday that it's something he, as a career overachiever, did essentially to keep a chip on his shoulder.

"I mean, throughout my career here, throughout college and the NFL, I've had a lot of adversity and this is just one of many," said Odenigbo, a former seventh-round draft pick who was released by the Vikings as a rookie in 2017, signed by Arizona and used in one game in 2018 and then re-signed by the Vikings in 2019, when he recorded seven sacks in 16 games as a backup.

Since the Ngakoue trade, Hunter has been placed on injured reserve and will miss at least three games because of what's believed to be a neck injury. Odenigbo, who said he's been spending most of his practice time at right end, will make his NFL starting debut Sunday.

But he knows he'll become a backup again once Hunter is healthy. And he said he's now OK with that.

"For the most part, I've kind of settled down, just focused on Green Bay," Odenigbo said. "Obviously, them trading for Yannick is good for the team. It's not a me sport. It's a team sport.

"Just seeing what Yannick has been doing here, he can really help the team out."

Obviously, a "tweak" is not really a "tweak" if it results in a player landing on the injury report.

So Zimmer was asked Friday if his description of Hunter's injury and continued downplaying of that ailment was nothing more than gamesmanship before a game with an unfriendly foe.

What say you, Mike?

"I'm not going to talk about injuries," Zimmer said.

The Vikings still don't know who will start at right tackle for the Packers. Shoreview native Billy Turner (knee) was listed as doubtful on Friday.

Rick Wagner is the backup, but he has been battling an elbow injury. If he can't play, the Packers might have to move a guard to tackle.

Defensive lineman Montravius Adams (toe) is doubtful and safety Raven Greene (quadriceps) is questionable. Outside linebacker Randy Ramsey is out with a groin injury.

Zimmer isn't concerned about having no backup safeties on the 53-man roster.

"We have backup safeties," he said. "We won't go into a game with two safeties, trust me."

Among the options are relaxed practice squad rules that would allow the Vikings to promote rookie Josh Metellus or Nate Meadors, a second-year pro who has played both corner and safety.