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The Aftermath of the Minnesota Vikings’ Roster Cuts

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Kyler Murray wears his helmet during the first day of Vikings OTAs in Eagan, Minnesota.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kyler Murray wears his helmet during the first day of organized team activities on May 26, 2026, at the team’s practice facility in Eagan, Minnesota. Murray participated in the opening OTA session as Minnesota began its offseason installation work with a reshaped quarterback room. Mandatory Credit: YouTube

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

NFL: Baltimore Ravens at Minnesota Vikings
Aug 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Baltimore Ravens safety Silas Walters (36) tackles Minnesota Vikings running back Zavier Scott (36) during the first half at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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.

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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

NCAA Football: SEC Football Championship-Louisiana State vs Georgia
Dec 3, 2022; Atlanta, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs punter Brett Thorson (92) punting during the first quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

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.

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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

Patriots coach Brian Flores in 2019
Feb 3, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; New England Patriots linebackers coach Brian Flores reacts during Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Patriots defeated the Rams 13-3 to win an NFL record-tying sixth championship. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

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.

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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

NFL: Baltimore Ravens at Minnesota Vikings
Aug 22, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) warms up before the game against the Baltimore Ravens at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images – Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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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Josh Frey is a senior writer at both PurplePTSD.com and VikingsTerritory.com, with a fascination for the NFL Draft. To … More about Josh Frey
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Scottie Scheffler claims three-shot victory in Atlanta to secure FedEx Cup

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Scottie Scheffler secured the FedEx Cup for the second time in his career as he won the Tour Championship by three shots from Viktor Hovland at East Lake.

Scheffler’s closing round of 66 lifted him above overnight leader Hovland, who struggled on the greens, making three bogeys in a round of 72.

There was one late scare for Scheffler when he found the thick rough with his tee shot on the 18th, but by the time he did so Hovland had just bogeyed the 17th to give the world number one extra breathing space – and Scheffler recovered to make par regardless as he added to the FedEx Cup he won in 2024.

It was a day when most players struggled to score well, but Scheffler showed his class with the joint best round of the day alongside Xander Schauffele.

“The golf course got a bit firmer, there was some wind – I feel like for Atlanta this feels like a lot of wind,” Scheffler said. “With the way the rough is, when it gets firm the fair starts to play a little bit more narrow.

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“Today was a day when I was able to get off to a good start and I was able to make some birdies late in the round to seal the deal.”

Hovland started the day with a three-shot advantage over Scheffler but opened with a bogey and quickly saw his advantage disappear as a number of near misses on the greens proved costly.

Rory McIlroy had given himself a chance of contending with a superb round of 63 on Saturday, but three bogeys in the first five holes quickly showed he was in for a more difficult final day.

The Northern Irishman reversed some of that damage with an outstanding eagle on the par-five sixth, hitting a superb second shot to within 12 feet of the hole, but another bogey followed on the fourth on a frustrating day as he finished five shots off Scheffler in a tie for fourth.

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Justin Rose hit a superb hole in one on the par-three nine, but it was needed as damage limitation on a day when he carded five bogeys in a round of 71 that dropped him five places to a share of 18th.

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49ers’ initial 53-man roster announced, but more moves ahead before opener

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The San Francisco 49ers announced their initial 53-man roster Sunday. Emphasis on initial. 

Among their moves, the 49ers placed Brett Toth, in line to be the backup center, on injured reserve but without a designation to return. This helped further explain their acquisition of an interior offensive lineman (Jarrett Patterson) via trade earlier in the day. Punter Corliss Waitman and long snapper Jon Weeks were among the players released, but as vested veterans, they could be re-signed as soon as Monday when additional injured players who did make the team get moved to injured reserve. And as a temporary remedy for a log-jammed linebacker room, seven were kept, more than they could be expected to actually roster on a given game-day.

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In other words, this is not the roster the team will feature in the Sept. 10 season opener in Australia against the Rams. The game of Tetris has only just begun. Plenty more shuffling will take place in the coming days.

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Injury designations

Defensive end Mykel Williams (ACL), a presumed starter when healthy, and running back Isaac Guerendo (pec) were moved from the active/physically unable to perform list to the reserve/physically unable to perform list. This means they are both required to miss at least four games but don’t count against the active roster. 

Only players who opened training camp on active PUP can be placed on reserve PUP. And under a new NFL rule, Williams and Guerendo (on reserve PUP) could have their 21-day practice window opened as soon as Week 3 even though Week 5 would mark the earliest either could play in a game.

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Among a slew of other injured players, the 49ers placed four on IR by the cutdown deadline.

A maximum of two IR players could be designated to return Sunday. Wide receiver Christian Kirk (calf), an offseason depth signing, and offensive lineman Austen Pleasants (knee), a swing tackle who also repped at left guard during camp, were given that designation by the 49ers. It means Kirk and Pleasants can return after missing a minimum of four games, similar to those on PUP.

The 49ers also put two other players on IR who did not get a return designation, including Toth (concussion) and offensive lineman Nick Zakelj (undisclosed), effectively ending their seasons. This comes as a particular letdown for Toth, who when healthy seemed likely to be the backup center with some guard versatility as well.

Players with known injuries on the 53-man roster

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The reason the 49ers could confidently “cut” the only punter and long snapper on their roster was because both were vested veterans.

Players with four years of service or more are not subjected to the waiver wire, which means they have the freedom to sign with any team if released. As the 49ers did last year with former punter Thomas Morstead, it is a common practice to release a vested veteran on cutdown day and then re-sign him the next day when more room can be made on the roster by another IR placement or two. 

Remember: Only two players, max, can go to IR and be designated to return on cutdown day.

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A total of 15 players on the initial 53-man roster have a known injury, including cornerback Renardo Green (hamstring), wide receiver Mike Evans (groin), safety Malik Mustapha (hamstring strain), wide receiver Jacob Cowing (groin), quarterback Kurtis Rourke (ribs), nickel back Upton Stout (hip flexor), nickel back Nate Hobbs (groin), fullback Kyle Juszczyk (finger), linebacker Nick Martin (hamstring), linebacker Luke Gifford (hamstring), offensive tackle Vederian Lowe (ankle), guard Dominick Puni (concussion), rookie defensive tackle Gracen Halton (ankle), rookie defensive end Romello Height (ankle) and defensive end Nick Bosa (soreness). 

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Head coach Kyle Shanahan noted a number of the aforementioned players could return to practice this week. Shanahan also considered Lowe, as an example, to be an injured reserve candidate after he missed most of camp with a high ankle sprain.

Surprise cut

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Robert Jones was released despite being firmly in the mix at left guard for the better part of camp. Jones had missed the past couple of weeks with a calf injury. His departure leaves rookie Carver Willis and 2025 seventh-round draft pick Connor Colby as the two other candidates who repped at left guard this camp. 

Patterson is also capable of playing left guard, though offensive line coach Chris Foerster has previously voiced hesitation in starting his backup center at another position along the offensive line.

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Shanahan said after the preseason finale in Las Vegas that Willis was “making a push” to win the starting left guard job.

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The youngsters

As predicted, rookie defensive tackle James Thompson Jr. was included on the initial roster. Thompson emerged as a promising depth piece during camp despite going undrafted out of Illinois. 

Along with Thompson, every member of the 49ers’ past two draft classes except for Junior Bergen (2025 seventh round) made it past Sunday’s cuts.

Martin, a 2025 third-round draft pick, was among those who appeared on the bubble. A crowded linebacker position group did not help. But the 49ers found a short-term remedy by keeping seven, an unusually high number for that position. Five is typical. Six is still doable. Expect movement there in the coming days as the 49ers rearrange what was essentially a rough draft of their actual 53-man roster, still to be revealed.

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Initial 52-man roster (pending the Patterson trade)

Quarterback (3): Brock Purdy, Mac Jones, Kurtis Rourke
Running back/fullback (4): Christian McCaffrey, Kaelon Black, Jordan James Kyle Juszczyk
Wide receiver (6): Mike Evans, De’Zhaun Stribling, Deebo Samuel, Demarcus Robinson, Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins
Tight end (4): George Kittle, Jake Tonges, Luke Farrell, Brayden Willis
Offensive line (8): Trent Williams, Dominick Puni, Colton McKivitz, Jake Brendel, Carver Willis, Vederian Lowe, Connor Colby, Enrique Cruz Jr.
Defensive line (9): Nick Bosa, Osa Odighizuwa, Alfred Collins, Keion White, Sam Okuayinonu, CJ West, Gracen Halton, Romello Height, James Thompson Jr.
Linebacker (7): Fred Warner, Dre Greenlaw, Jaden Dugger, Tatum Bethune, Garret Wallow, Luke Gifford, Nick Martin
Cornerback (6): Deommodore Lenoir, Renardo Green, Upton Stout, Jack Jones, Ephesians Prysock, Nate Hobbs
Safety (4): Ji’Ayir Brown, Marques Sigle, Malik Mustapha, Siran Neal
Specialist (1): K Eddy Piñeiro

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This article originally published at 49ers’ initial 53-man roster announced, but more moves ahead before opener.

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Zaria breaks silence after making WWE history at Heatwave

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Zaria broke her silence after making WWE history at NXT Heatwave 2026. The popular star competed in a massive Triple Threat match against Kali Armstrong and Wren Sinclair at the event.

The NXT Women’s North American and Women’s Speed Championships were unified at Heatwave 2026. Zaria was the Women’s North American Champion entering the match, and Wren Sinclair was the Women’s Speed Champion entering the match. The 27-year-old emerged victorious to unify the titles, and Shawn Michaels complimented her on making history following the show. She responded by claiming it was what she was born to do, and you can check out the message in the post below.

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“Born to make history 🫡,” she wrote.

Sol Ruca used to be in an alliance with Zaria while they were both in NXT. Ruca took to social media to send a warning to her former friend following her historic victory today at Heatwave. Raquel Rodriguez is scheduled to defend her Women’s Intercontinental Championship against Sol Ruca tomorrow night on RAW. Ruca held the title earlier this year after defeating Becky Lynch at Clash in Italy, but dropped it to The Judgment Day star last month on RAW.

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Zaria names massive WWE star as her dream opponent

NXT star Zaria recently named Rhea Ripley as her dream opponent in the promotion. Ripley captured the WWE Women’s Championship at WrestleMania 42 by defeating Jade Cargill, but her title reign was short-lived due to a knee injury.

Speaking on Busted Open Radio, the Australian star named The Eradicator as her dream opponent and noted that they both competed in the same promotion before joining WWE. They both spent some time in Riot City Wrestling during their careers on the independent wrestling scene.

“I feel like I don’t even need to say it. I think everybody knows what I’m gonna say, and that’s Rhea Ripley. We both come from the same city, the same country, and the same wrestling promotion. All the story’s just right there. WrestleMania moment, that’s it,” she said.

Zaria is naming Rhea Ripley as her biggest Wrestlemania dream opponent 👀 “We both come from the same city, the same country and the same wrestling promotion. All the story’s just right there. WrestleMania moment, that’s it.”

Only time will tell how long the Australian Powerhouse can remain champion following her impressive victory at WWE NXT Heatwave.

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