Dillon Bell’s run with the Minnesota Vikings took a stunning turn in less than a day.
After going undrafted at the 2026 NFL Draft, Bell got the kind of news every rookie is chasing when he learned Sunday that he had made the Vikings’ final 53-man roster. For an undrafted free agent, that was a major win. By Monday, it was gone.
Source: The #Vikings are releasing rookie WR Dillon Bell.
The undrafted free agent out of Georgia had originally made the 53-man after a stellar camp, but numbers were very tight and he will now go on waivers. pic.twitter.com/MNAHqJ8xMw
- Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) August 31, 2026
The release came as a surprise, especially given how quickly Bell had celebrated the roster spot. During Kirby Smart’s press conference Monday morning, Smart said Bell had called him and other members of Georgia’s coaching staff over the weekend to thank them for pushing him throughout his time with the Bulldogs. Bell told them he believed that pressure helped get him to Minnesota’s roster.
That makes the timing even stranger, because Bell almost certainly would not have made those calls if he had known the Vikings were about to move on from him.
Minnesota also made a curious choice elsewhere on the roster, keeping four quarterbacks on the final 53. Most teams don’t carry that many at all, and the Vikings’ decision left room for questions about how Bell ended up the odd man out. One of those spots could have gone to him instead of a fourth-string quarterback who is expected to never see the field.
Even with the setback, Bell’s NFL path is not finished. If the Vikings thought enough of him to place him on the active roster once, another team could see the same thing.
His preseason work helped his case, too. Bell caught seven passes for 59 yards, and those seven receptions tied for the eleventh-most in the NFL during the preseason.
The number doesn’t jump off the page at first glance, but preseason opportunities are limited and rosters are constantly in flux. Bell made the most of the chances he got, and that could still carry weight with another team.
For now, the next step is unclear. He could land on waivers, and at the very least he should be in the mix for a practice squad. But after proving he was good enough to crack an active roster once, Bell will be hoping his next opportunity comes with a little more staying power.
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