A month into the NFL season, the Vikings’ practice squad has already become one of the busiest parts of the roster.
Minnesota has churned through additions and departures since the original 53-man roster and practice squad were set, and those personnel moves have helped push the team to a 4-0 start entering a Week 5 matchup with the Saints. General manager Nolan Teasley and head coach Kevin O'Connell have leaned on the practice squad not just as a holding area, but as a real source of depth and flexibility.
Nine players from the opening September practice squad are still there now: Armstead, Briscoe, Byrd, Grandy, Kamara, Leigh, Nelson, Ritzie and Thomas. They remain eligible to be elevated to the active roster when needed, and each player can be elevated three times during the season.
Minnesota has also moved on from seven former practice squad players: Gerhardt, Gray, Hailassie, Jones, Phillips, Rudolph and Stewart. Three of those players signed with other teams, while the rest are free agents.
The Vikings have already used the practice squad as a bridge to the 53-man roster in a few spots. Kyle Van Noy spent the first three weeks of the regular season on the squad before moving up to the active roster in Week 4. The team has also leaned on the practice squad to manage the punter situation, using it to smooth the transition for Johnny Hekker and Brett Thorson so one of them is available each game.
More recently, former Saints running back Audric Estime was added to give Minnesota more help in a backfield that has been thin since Jordan Mason landed on injured reserve.
The most eye-catching name on the current practice squad is Odell Beckham Jr. With Jauan Jennings and Tai Felton having been essentially invisible, it may not take long for Beckham to get his regular-season chance. The Vikings could even decide to add more receivers if they reach the same conclusion the Giants did.
For now, the practice squad has served exactly the way Minnesota wants it to: as a pipeline to the active roster, and as a place where younger players can keep developing. Teasley figures to keep pressing that advantage.
In Other News...
T.J. Hockenson Just Revived A Big Vikings Question Around J.J. McCarthy
T.J. Hockensons latest performance offered a reminder of why the Vikings value him so highly, even as the details of the game created a quirky side story of their own. He scored a touchdown and then slid instead of taking it to the end zone, a choice that ended up mattering to some bettors, but the bigger takeaway for Minnesota was the way he looked as a central part of the offense. Hockenson finished with 119 yards on 13 catches, his first 100-yard outing since the ACL injury that sidelined him in 2023.
For a team still sorting out its long-term offensive picture around J.J. McCarthy, Hockensons health and production remain part of the conversation. His return to that kind of form comes after a difficult recovery and serves as another sign that the Vikings may be able to lean on him as they continue making roster decisions tied to their young quarterback. The touchdown celebration may have drawn attention for a different reason, but the broader significance was Hockenson looking like himself again at a time when Minnesota needs clarity from its core pieces. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin OConnell Just Gave Vikings Fans A New Offensive Debate
The Vikings are 4-0, but the way they got there has not exactly settled the offensive conversation in Minnesota. Kevin OConnells group has already gone two games without a touchdown, and even in a win over the Dolphins, the offense ended up at the center of a familiar kind of debate: whether the safest path is always the best-looking one.
Late in that game, T.J. Hockenson was instructed to stop short of the end zone instead of finishing a touchdown, a move designed to drain more clock and keep the result secure. It was classic situational football from OConnell, who has leaned into minimizing risk, but it also gave critics fresh reason to wonder whether the Vikings are playing to win cleanly or simply playing not to lose. [Read more 🡒]
Kevin O'Connell's Late Week 4 Call Said Everything About These Vikings
With the game hanging in the balance late in the fourth quarter, Kevin O'Connell made a choice that said plenty about where these Vikings are right now. Faced with 4th-and-5, the Minnesota coach sent out the field-goal unit for a 29-yard try, opting to stretch a 15-10 lead rather than gamble on another offensive snap. It was the kind of decision that fits a team willing to trust its defense and the broader game script instead of forcing the issue.
The analytics backed the call, and the next sequence made the reasoning look even better. Minnesota's defense answered with a stop to preserve the lead, turning a measured coaching decision into a winning one in the moment. For a team trying to sort out its identity in the early part of the season, the sequence offered a clear snapshot of O'Connell's approach: play the percentages, lean on the group, and let the roster's strengths carry the pressure. [Read more 🡒]