With the NFL’s roster deadline looming on Sunday, Aug. 30, the Vikings are staring at the same uncomfortable reality every team faces this time of year: good players can still become expendable, and sometimes the smartest move is to trade before someone gets cut for nothing.
Around 1,100 players across the league are expected to be released by the 6:00 pm ET/5 p.m. CT deadline, and Minnesota has a few names that could draw interest if another team is willing to part with a late pick. The idea is simple - if a player isn’t part of the long-term plan, a trade can still return value.
One possibility is Zavier Scott. The Vikings may not want to move on from him, but the decision could hinge on whether they keep three or four halfbacks on the 2026 roster. If Minnesota sticks with three, Scott and rookie Demond Claiborne would be battling for the last spot behind Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason.
Scott, 27, appeared in 16 games last season and logged 254 combined snaps on offense and special teams. That versatility could make him attractive to a team looking for backfield depth and help on special teams. He’s also on a one-year deal, and if Minnesota traded him, his entire $1,005,000 cap hit would come off the books, according to Spotrac.
J.J. McCarthy is another name that could at least spark interest around the league, even if it sounds unlikely on the surface.
The Vikings took him No. 10 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft hoping he’d be their quarterback of the future, but his play has been uneven so far. That rough stretch got worse in Saturday’s preseason game against the Ravens, when he missed a wide-open Myles Price in the end zone.
Still, McCarthy hasn’t been all bad. He has flashed with both his arm and his legs, and injuries plus shaky offensive line play have made life harder than it should be. If Minnesota ever decided to move on, another team could view him as a developmental swing worth taking, especially with his cap hit sitting just over $3.1 million in 2026 and 2027.
Then there’s Jeshaun Jones, who may be the most surprising name on the list. The 26-year-old has had a strong camp, and the Vikings have real depth at wide receiver, which means someone productive could still get squeezed out.
Jones backed that up in Saturday’s 13-3 loss to Baltimore, catching five of six targets for 63 yards. His best moment came just before halftime, when Carson Wentz dropped in a 36-yard strike that Jones hauled in cleanly.
Jones has been hanging around the edges of the roster since joining the team in 2024. He’s spent time on the practice squad and even received a reserve/future contract. That kind of path usually leaves a player vulnerable at cut time, but after the camp he’s put together, there’s a good chance other teams would be paying attention if Minnesota makes him available.
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Michael Jurgens had a rough night at center, Max Brosmer struggled at quarterback and threw an interception, and first-round pick Caleb Banks still has not shown he is ready to help right away. There is still time left in the preseason for Minnesota to sort through the depth chart, but for these three, the margin for error is starting to shrink. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings Suddenly Have A Bigger J.J. McCarthy Problem Than Expected
The Vikings preseason has already raised more than a few questions, and J.J. McCarthy has been at the center of them. After what was supposed to be a key stretch for the young quarterbacks development, the early returns have prompted some concern about whether he has taken the kind of step Minnesota wanted to see, especially with the final preseason game arriving before the August 30 roster cut-down deadline.
There is plenty else hanging over the roster, too, from a thin edge rusher group behind Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel to the reality that veteran help at that spot is not exactly sitting around in free agency. Brian Flores ongoing discrimination lawsuit also remains part of the backdrop as the team moves toward its final exhibition game, but the bigger issue for the Vikings may be whether McCarthys preseason has left them with more uncertainty at quarterback than they expected. [Read more 🡒]
Justin Jefferson Just Put Minnesotas QB Turmoil In A New Light
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Jefferson also framed it as a leadership issue, stressing the value of keeping frustrations internal and supporting teammates instead of letting negativity spill out. For Minnesota, the timing matters because the competition at quarterback has since moved on, with Kyler Murray named the starter after battling McCarthy for the job. Even so, Jeffersons comments give a clearer sense of how the Vikings tried to steady things through the turbulence, and how much more there may have been going on than the outside view suggested. [Read more 🡒]