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The Vikings’ Starting Lineup as Training Camp Gets Rolling

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Blake Cashman and Jonathan Greenard force a fumble by Bears quarterback Caleb Williams during a game at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Minnesota Vikings defenders Blake Cashman and Jonathan Greenard converge on Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams during NFC North action at U.S. Bank Stadium. The Minnesota pass rush created havoc throughout the contest, forcing a key turnover that helped swing momentum early. The play occurred on Dec. 16, 2024, during a divisional showdown in Minneapolis. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.

The Vikings’ starting lineup isn’t set in stone. That being said, there are many details that are already known.

Nobody is going to force Justin Jefferson out of his spot as the team’s WR1. Likewise, Andrew Van Ginkel, Brian O’Neill, Byron Murphy Jr., and various others have their jobs secured. Only injury — fingers crossed that any that arise are exceedingly minor — can threaten their spots on Minnesota’s depth chart.

Check out one man’s take on how the hierarchy will look for Week 1 of the 2026 season. Swing around to the team website for a clarifying list of the team’s players.

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The Vikings’ Starting Lineup: An Educated Guess

Offense — 11 Personnel

ALT: Justin Jefferson celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Washington Commanders at FedExField.
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson celebrates after scoring a first-half touchdown against the Washington Commanders at FedExField. The All-Pro receiver sparked Minnesota’s offense with another signature play during a comeback victory on the road. Nov. 6, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports.
LT Christian Darrisaw LG Donovan Jackson C Blake Brandel RG Will Fries RT Brian O’Neill
QB Kyler Murray
RB Aaron Jones
WR Justin Jefferson WR Jordan Addison TE T.J. Hockenson WR Jauan Jennings

Competition: As some may have heard, the QB1 spot is up for grabs. My guess for the past little while is that Murray starts in Week 1 but that J.J. McCarthy starts more games in 2026. Can Jordan Mason overtake Aaron Jones to be the top Vikings runner? Something to be said for Mr. Mason, a hammer who treats defenders like nails.

Riddle: Is Mr. Brandel going to get the job done as a center? Does the team pull off a trade for somebody like Garrett Bradbury? Looks like the in-house competition is determined but Brandel still has something to prove.

Signed, Sealed, & Delivered: Nobody is going to displace Justin Jefferson. Brian O’Neill and Christian Darrisaw are a terrific tandem who could become elite if everything goes perfectly. Jordan Addison is set for a great season. Oh, and Donovan Jackson is going to become very good. A matter of when and not if.

Defense – Nickle

NFL: San Francisco 49ers at Minnesota Vikings
Sep 15, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; The Minnesota Vikings react after an interception by safety Josh Metellus (obscured in center) against the San Francisco 49ers during the third quarter U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images.
EDGE Andrew Van Ginkel DT Jalen Redmond DT Levi Drake Rodriguez EDGE Dallas Turner
LB Blake Cashman LB Eric Wilson
CB James Pierre CB Byron Murphy Jr. S Jay Ward S Josh Metellus CB Isaiah Rodgers

Competition: Who is the DT2 for the Vikings? Mr. Redmond has earned the right to be the DT1 in 2026 after proving so impressive in 2024 and 2025. The center fielder position, otherwise known as free safety, is going to be a battle. I say it goes to Mr. Ward. Theo Jackson and Jakobe Thomas will try to prove me wrong.

Riddle: How does Jake Golday fit into the mix? The long, speedy linebacker appears to be perfect for Brian Flores. Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange are going get snaps. And what of the veteran linebackers? Can they shine despite being a touch older?

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Signed, Sealed, & Delivered: Andrew Van Ginkel is a cyborg. Dallas Turner will be supporting the cyborg as he tries to become a cyborg. A top trio of corners consisting of Murphy, Rodgers, and Pierre has the potential to be very good. Not shutdown elite, but good enough to send receivers home frustrated. Metellus is shooting for a bounce back.


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Senior Editor for Vikings Territory & PurplePTSD . Twitter & Bluesky: @VikingsGazette. Email: k.joudry[at]vikingsterritory[dot]com. Canadian. Jude 1:24-25.

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Spooky in Love – When will episodes 7-8 release and what to expect

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Spooky in Love episodes 7 and 8 will air on Saturday, August 8 and Sunday, August 9, 2026, respectively, at 9:10 pm KST on tvN. The episodes will be available on Netflix a few hours after the Korean broadcast. It has a total of 12 episodes.

The lead cast features Park Eun-bin as Cheon Yeo-ri, Yang Se-jong as Ma Gang-uk, and Ong Seong-wu as Kang Min-hwan.


What to expect in Spooky in Love episodes 7 and 8?

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The preview for Spooky in Love episodes 7 and 8 opens in the aftermath of the sudden engagement announcement between Yeo-ri and Gang-uk.

Baek Gyeong-ja does not accept the news at face value and searches for signs that the arrangement is not genuine. She questions whether Gang-uk’s choice stems from business considerations or actual feelings. Gang-uk states directly that he likes Yeo-ri enough to decide on the engagement. Yeo-ri explains her earlier distance as an attempt to play hard to get.

Family members and others around them express clear resistance to the match and take steps to interfere. Yeo-ri encounters Paeng Myo-sun, Gang-uk’s grandmother, and initially mistakes her for a ghost before realizing she is alive when the older woman greets her. Paeng Myo-sun asks Yeo-ri about her zodiac sign and year of birth.

Ok Gye-hee is shown keeping closer watch on Yeo-ri. Cheon Ha-ri approaches Kang Min-hwan and proposes that they work together, stating that she already has a method to end the engagement. Min-hwan makes his own opposition clear by telling Gang-uk to call off the engagement while there is still time. Min-hwan also locates Yeo-ri’s former fiancé and brings up the actual reason the previous relationship ended, leaving the man without a response.

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Yeo-ri and Gang-uk are shown spending additional time together once the engagement is underway. They go on dates and appear to enjoy each other’s company. The preview includes a mysterious phone call received by Yeo-ri at the same time that information about her ability begins to surface. Ha-ri is shown witnessing an event she was not meant to see, which leaves her frozen in place.


Spooky in Love episodes 5 and 6 recap

Spooky in Love episodes 5 and 6 aired on August 1 and August 2, 2026. In episode 5, Yeo-ri hugs Gang-uk after believing he has become a ghost. She hears his heartbeat and learns he survived the earlier accident. After discharge, Gang-uk finds he can no longer see ghosts. Yeo-ri suggests they stop meeting.

Media gather at the hotel over the abduction reports. Min-hwan shields Yeo-ri from reporters. Gang-uk notices Min-hwan’s protective actions and feels jealous. Yeo-ri warns Ha-ri about further contact with Seung-jae. Min-hwan invites Yeo-ri to an event at the Yeeon Museum of Art. At the museum event, Gang-uk meets Yeo-ri and later claims he sees ghosts in order to speak with her. She identifies his lies. Gang-uk proposes they work together on the related cold case.

Yeo-ri later feels jealousy when she sees Im Seo-hyeon holding Gang-uk’s hand. Yeo-ri confronts her grandmother over the engagement news leak to the media. She later summons a spirit to solve a case that shows a man killing his girlfriend. Yeo-ri and Gang-uk confront the man at the site. Yeo-ri then agrees to collaborate with Gang-uk on cold cases, beginning with the 300-year-old letter.

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In Spooky in Love episode 6, Yeo-ri and Gang-uk set rules for their joint work. Gang-uk locates additional artwork and the missing portion of the letter at a graveyard. Yeo-ri vows to reunite the pair. Later at the museum, Min-hwan gives Yeo-ri a pair of gloves, and they run into Gang-uk and Seo-hyeon.

The group later shares dinner, and Yeo-ri feels jealous of Seo-hyeon’s closeness to Gang-uk. Afterward, Yeo-ri and Gang-uk trip near an alley and share an accidental kiss. They confirm no bare-hand contact occurred and agree to report any spirit sightings to each other.

The next day in Spooky in Love episode 6, Min-hwan obtains a report on Gang-uk’s past heart transplant 12-years ago. Yeo-ri and Gang-uk locate Hwagyeongdang’s burial site under camellia trees at the museum grounds. Yeo-ri trades a family pine tree for the camellias. Ha-ri plans to expose Yeo-ri’s secret and meets her former fiancé.

Yeo-ri visits her hospitalized grandmother, who urges her to engage to Min-hwan. Yeo-ri informs Gang-uk of the impending engagement demand. At a family dinner that includes Min-hwan, Yeo-ri announces her engagement to Gang-uk, leaving those present in shock.

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Viewers can stream the released episodes of Spooky in Love on Netflix.