The Vikings are out of preseason games and into the part of the calendar where every move carries weight. After Friday night’s blowout loss to the Giants closed the exhibition slate on a sour note, Minnesota now turns to the 53-man roster deadline that arrives Sunday at 5 p.m. CT.
Every NFL team has the same cutoff, with a few wrinkles: players on the Physically Unable to Perform list and those in the NFL International Player Pathway do not count toward the final total. Even with those exceptions, there are still plenty of hard calls ahead, and Kevin O’Connell made it clear the next couple of days will not be easy.
"First and foremost, we got to cut down our football team," the 41-year-old head coach said on Friday (h/t Vikings). "It’s just going to be a tough couple of days, and figure out our practice squad and potential additions to the roster at different positions."
Minnesota has already sorted out some of its position battles, but a few spots remain unsettled. The backup quarterback job, center depth and the running back room are all areas that could influence how O’Connell and his staff approach the final cuts.
The Vikings could also look outside the building for help once other teams start making their own roster decisions. For now, though, the first order of business is getting down to 53, then sorting through practice squad options and possible additions.
This tracker will follow every Vikings release, waiver decision and any notable surprise move as the deadline unfolds.
In Other News...
Vikings Just Created A New Offensive Line Roster Squeeze
The Vikings kept working the waiver wire after the 11 a.m. Central deadline, claiming center Nick Samac and guard Trevor Keegan to add even more competition up front. Samac arrives after stops with the Ravens and Panthers, while Keegan comes over after time with the Eagles and Cowboys, giving Minnesota two more interior line options at a position group that has already been under the microscope.
What comes next is the part worth watching, because the team has not yet announced the corresponding roster moves needed to make room on the 53-man roster. With two new linemen in the building and limited space to sort through, Minnesota has created a fresh numbers crunch, and the decisions it makes now will say plenty about how it wants to stabilize the offensive line heading into the season. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Fans Already Have Plenty To Debate In Nolan Teasleys First Roster
The Vikings have their final 53-man roster for the 2026 season, and it gives fans an early look at how new general manager Nolan Teasley wants to shape the team after taking over in May. Cut day always brings its share of surprises, but this one carries extra weight because Teasley had the final say on every move, from the rookies who made it through to the players who landed on the reserve/injured list.
For Minnesota, the roster is more than a paperwork milestone. It is the first real glimpse of Teasleys priorities and the first chance for fans to argue over what he values most in building the team. Some of those choices will look sensible right away, others may take time to sort out, and a few will almost certainly fuel debate long after the roster was posted. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings 53-Man Roster Leaves One Immediate J.J. McCarthy Question
The Vikings trimmed down to their initial 53-man roster, and the quarterback room remains one of the most closely watched parts of the team heading into the regular season. Minnesota kept four passers on the roster mix, with Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer all still in the picture, while other moves around the roster included several cuts and a few players shifting to reserve lists.
For McCarthy, the immediate question is how the Vikings plan to sort out the quarterback situation from here, especially with so many bodies still attached to the position. Elsewhere, the roster math brought some tough decisions, including Tyler Batty landing on a season-ending injured designation and Jeshaun Jones unavailable for the first three games, all of which adds another layer to how Minnesota enters the season opener. [Read more 🡒]