Vikings' Heinicke suffered injury trying to break back into home

Minnesota Vikings backup quarterback Taylor Heinicke is facing an extended sideline stint after a recent accident forced him to undergo surgery for a leg injury.

Following a late-night movie earlier this month, Heinicke and a friend returned to his home to find themselves locked out. The 23-year-old says he suffered a cut above his left ankle while trying to break in.

"I came back and there's no one home, and I'm trying to nudge the door a little," Heinicke told Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press. "It was one of those double doors. I thought it just needed a little nudge.

"Me and my buddy were getting it going a little, but when I put my foot to the door, my foot kind of slipped, and it went through a window. It was just kind of a freak accident. I'm very embarrassed, but I'm just excited getting going with rehab and trying to get this going as soon as possible."

The quarterback says he hopes to be healthy in time for Week 1, but it appears likely that his recovery will extend well into the regular season.

Heinicke is expected to start the season on the non-football injury list and could be forced to miss up to three months due to the severed tendon in his foot, reports Ben Goessling of ESPN.

Heinicke sits third on the Vikings' quarterback depth chart behind Teddy Bridgewater and Shaun Hill. It's unclear whether Minnesota will look to the free-agent market as a means of addressing depth in his absence.