Sports
The Aftermath of the Minnesota Vikings’ Roster Cuts
Following their final preseason game on Friday against the Denver Broncos, the Minnesota Vikings have now gone through the process of trimming down their roster.
By 5 p.m. on Sunday, the Vikings had to cut their roster from 91 players down to their final 53. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from that Vikings roster cutdown process.
Zavier Scott the Odd Man Out at RB
The Minnesota Vikings came into training camp with a jam-packed running back room after they selected Demond Claiborne in the sixth round of this spring’s draft, meaning they would have to part ways with at least one talented player at the position.
Well, we now know that Zavier Scott was the odd man out among the group, leaving Claiborne, Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and Max Bredeson left in the backfield. The Vikings also opted to part ways with Jermar Jefferson, who was waived with an injury designation.
Scott finished the preseason with 10 carries for 36 yards along with three receptions for 18 yards. It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him back with the purple team on the practice squad.
The Punter Surprise
With the Vikings losing Ryan Wright to the New Orleans Saints this offseason, they have been in need of a new punter. When they brought in Johnny Hekker this March, it seemed that he would be destined to take on the role, but Sunday brought one of the biggest surprises when Minnesota terminated his contract.
As a result, Brett Thorson, an undrafted free agent out of Georgia, will be taking the job heading into the fall. It’s not without valid reasoning, either.
Thorson was a menace punting the ball throughout preseason with four of his five punts landing inside the opponent’s 20. He also averaged 47.8 yards per punt, including a 58-yard boot.
The undrafted rookie showed plenty of talent as a punter throughout his collegiate career as well, winning the Ray Guy Award, which honors the best punter during the season, with the Bulldogs in 2025.
Edge Rusher Depth Remains a Major Concern
Somewhat unrelated to roster cuts, the Vikings got some very bad news regarding their group of edge rushers on Sunday. It was confirmed that Tyler Batty tore his ACL during the final preseason game against the Broncos, and he will be out for the season.
Batty had shown some promise during the summer as a rotational piece in the defense, but now, he will be a non-factor for the Vikings this season.
The Vikings now have just four outside linebackers on their final roster: starters Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel along with backups Bo Richter and Chaz Chambliss. It’s not a very deep group right now, and that could cause some problems.
All Four QBs Make the Cut
Perhaps the biggest news of the day was the fact that the Vikings opted to dedicate four roster spots to the quarterback position, meaning all of Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer made the final roster.
It’s not a very common move for a team to keep four quarterbacks around, so it should be expected that a move will be made at the position in the coming days. One of two things seem the most likely:
- Max Brosmer will be waived in the coming days
- A J.J. McCarthy trade is on the way
An injured reserve stint for J.J. McCarthy cannot be ruled out at this point either given he missed five games last year with a high ankle sprain, and he missed the final preseason game due to an ankle injury this past Friday. Of course, nothing of the sort has been confirmed yet, but it’s something to keep an eye on over the coming days.
The Full 53-Man Roster
With the dust now settled, here is a first look at the Vikings’ full initial 53-man roster for 2026.
Offense
Quarterback (4)
- Kyler Murray
- J.J. McCarthy
- Carson Wentz
- Max Brosmer
Running Back (3)
- Aaron Jones
- Jordan Mason
- Demond Claiborne
Fullback (1)
Wide Receiver (6)
- Justin Jefferson
- Jordan Addison
- Jauan Jennings
- Tai Felton
- Myles Price
- Dillon Bell
Tight End (4)
- T.J. Hockenson
- Josh Oliver
- Ben Yurosek
- Gavin Bartholomew
Offensive Line (8)
- LT Christian Darrisaw
- LG Donovan Jackson
- C Blake Brandel
- RG Will Fries
- RT Brian O’Neill
- T Ryan Van Demark
- T Caleb Tiernan
- G Joe Huber
Defense
Defensive Line (6)
- Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins
- Jalen Redmond
- Levi Drake Rodriguez
- Caleb Banks
- Domonique Orange
- Elijah Williams
Outside Linebacker (4)
- Dallas Turner
- Andrew Van Ginkel
- Bo Richter
- Chaz Chambliss
Inside Linebacker (4)
- Blake Cashman
- Eric Wilson
- Jake Golday
- Ivan Pace
Cornerback (5)
- Byron Murphy Jr.
- Isaiah Rodgers
- Chuck Demmings
- James Pierre
- Zemaiah Vaughn
Safety (5)
- Josh Metellus
- Jay Ward
- Theo Jackson
- Jakobe Thomas
- Jacob Thomas
Special Teams
Kicker (1)
Punter
Long Snapper
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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