What to Look Out for in Vikings Preseason Opener

We are back. The Minnesota Vikings are back on a football field on Saturday as they head to MetLife Stadium to face the New York Giants in their preseason opener. It’s the first of three Vikings preseason games before we get to the real thing.

What to Look Out for in Vikings Preseason Opener

Minnesota will also travel to Denver to face Sean Payton’s Broncos, while hosting the Baltimore Ravens in between, all before US Bank Stadium plays host to the Green Bay Packers for a big divisional matchup in Week 1. With the preparations for the new season kicking up a gear, here are my things to look out for in the Vikings preseason opener.

How the QB Reps are Shared

Kevin O’Connell’s habit is to use his starters sparingly in the preseason games. They tend to start the first game and then be quickly taken out, and that’s it until the season starts. Kyler Murray has been confirmed as the team’s QB1 but is still settling into the team. Will Murray get some reps in each game? I’d suggest he should. If Murray can get into a rhythm, he can do well in Minnesota. Get him out there for a good chunk of the preseason.

There should be plenty of reps for JJ McCarthy, which can be good for him as he now looks to rebuild his career after a failed first attempt at being a starting QB. He can play some football without the spotlight shining so brightly and the pressure off. After that, there is Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer to fit in, with Brosmer hoping to do enough to stick around on the practice squad. We know what we are getting from Wentz as a veteran presence, so he probably doesn’t need to see the field too much.

The Rookies

This will of course be the first look we get of the 2025 rookie class as they make their bid to get on the final roster or move up the depth chart. A lot of focus will be on first-round pick Caleb Banks, especially given his injury problems over the last year. Day 2 picks Jake Golday and Domonique Orange also should be striving to show they are ready to get straight into the action when the season starts. Third-round tackle Caleb Tiernan should get plenty of chance to show he can be ready if Minnesota hits injury problems on the OL again this season.

With the Vikings’ secondary looking to have openings for potential playing time, also look for Jakobe Thomas and Charles Demmings to be staking their claim. Demmings has particularly impressed during training camp. Hopefully we will get an early look at how O’Connell plans to use Max Bredeson as a fullback and Demond Claiborne will be out there trying to stake his claim to be RB3 and perhaps eventually take over from Aaron Jones.

We Have A Punter Battle

Minnesota kept the same special teams unit together for the last couple of seasons and with some success. Will Reichard was the first-team All-Pro kicker last season, while Andrew DePaola has alternated between first and second-team All-Pro longsnapper for the last four seasons. The weaker link was Ryan Wright and the Vikings opted to move on after the end of Wright’s fourth season as the team’s punter.

Minnesota has recruited for his replacement from two opposite ends of the scale. On one side we have the 14-year veteran Johnny Hekker. A Super Bowl winner, six-time All-Pro, and four-time Pro Bowler, Hekker brings with him a wealth of experience and a proven ability to be able to hold for Reichard (an often overlooked part of a punter’s role). Then there is rookie punter Brett Thorson who has been booming huge punts during training camp. He doesn’t have the experience but he would be cheaper and potentially a longer-term solution. It should be an intriguing Vikings preseason battle for one of the few roster spots that are definitely open for the taking.

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

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