Minneapolis, MN (Best E Casino) - The Minnesota Vikings officially placed defensive end Kenechi Udeze on the non-football injury list Friday, ruling him out for the 2008 season.

Udeze is recovering from an acute form of leukemia.

Under NFL rules, the Vikings are not responsible for paying Udeze's 2008 salary because his "injury" is not football-related, but coach Brad Childress told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the team will continue to pay him.

"What he can do is focus on getting well," Childress told the newspaper. "He's done a great job with that so far. He's been positive. He's been upbeat. What this does is obviously clear his mind of any financial issues, and the organization, particularly [owner Zygi Wilf and his family], have taken care of that."

Udeze played in all 16 games for the Vikings last season, recording 47 tackles and five sacks. He has registered 117 tackles and 11 sacks in 51 career contests.