The Minnesota Vikings are about to get their first real look at the 2026 preseason, and the timing couldn’t be better for a roster that still needs sorting out before the 53-man cutdown date on Sunday, Aug. 30.
Training camp has already started separating the contenders from the long shots, but the exhibition schedule is where the picture gets sharper. For players on the edge, these games matter. They’re the last few chances to leave Kevin O'Connell & Co. with something to think about before decisions get made.
Minnesota opens on the road against the Giants, a matchup that gives fans their first chance to see the new mix of rookies and veterans in live action. The two teams met in Week 16 last season, and the Vikings came away with a 16-13 win thanks to Will Reichard’s 30-yard game-winning field goal with just over four minutes left.
That opener should also provide a decent early test. The Giants are still looking to snap a three-year postseason drought, so they should come out with something to prove.
The middle game on the schedule brings a different kind of evaluation. After a week of joint practices, the Vikings will square off with the Ravens before hosting Lamar Jackson’s team at U.S.
Bank Stadium a few days later. That one should tell the Vikings even more about where the roster stands, especially with projections starting to settle and more backups expected to see the field than they did against the Giants.
Minnesota would probably like to shake a recent trend against Baltimore, even if this is only the preseason. The Vikings are 3-5 in eight all-time meetings with the Ravens, including a 27-19 loss in Week 10 of the 2025 season. That defeat kicked off a four-game skid and essentially ended Minnesota’s postseason hopes.
The summer wraps up in Denver, where the Vikings will face the Broncos just two days before the roster deadline. That finale gives bubble players one last shot to lock down a role, whether that’s a regular job or a practice-squad spot.
The Broncos will be a tough closing opponent, coming off a 14-win season and an AFC Championship Game appearance. Minnesota last saw the defending AFC West champs in Week 11 on Sunday Night Football in 2023, when Denver edged out a 21-20 win after Courtland Sutton caught a touchdown with just over a minute to go.
A lot has changed since then, and the Vikings will find out soon enough whether they can finish the preseason by beating the Broncos and carrying some momentum into the 2026 regular season.
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Kyler Murrays arrival has turned the quarterback room into a real competition, and while Minnesota has not officially named a starter for 2026, the veteran is expected to be the one pushing for the job. For McCarthy, the issue is not just who takes the first snap next season. It is whether a team that drafted him so high can still justify holding onto him if the path back to the top of the depth chart keeps narrowing. [Read more 🡒]
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There were bright spots elsewhere, including rookie running back Demond Claiborne flashing his speed on a 60-yard touchdown run and Jeshaun Jones making himself hard to ignore in the red zone. Even so, the sharper work came from the backup side of the room, where limited reps against third-string defenders suggested the battle may be moving in a direction the Vikings did not fully expect. [Read more 🡒]