The Minnesota Vikings are down to one last preseason game, and while most of the roster is already taking shape, a few jobs are still very much in play.
Friday’s finale against the Denver Broncos could settle some of the last real debates before the team turns the page toward its Week 1 matchup with the Green Bay Packers on September 13. At this stage, the big-picture roster is mostly set. But these four spots could still swing on one more performance.
At tight end, the battle for the No. 3 job remains unresolved between Ben Yurosek and Gavin Bartholomew. Yurosek is the incumbent after making the final 53-man roster in 2025, and he’s already shown he can help when called upon on offense while also holding his own on special teams.
Bartholomew, meanwhile, missed his rookie year with a back injury but has looked sharp in camp, flashing smooth route-running and soft hands. The problem is that those traits haven’t shown up in preseason games, where he has just one catch for 15 yards.
Minnesota still has one more chance to see which one rises in live action, and the choice may come down to whether the Vikings want the player they know or the one with more upside.
The punter competition has been quieter, but it’s no less important. Johnny Hekker and undrafted rookie Bret Thorson have been battling for the job since the offseason, and neither has separated from the other.
Against the Baltimore Ravens last week, the Vikings split the work evenly and both punters handled themselves well. Hekker showed off his leg with a 65-yard boot, while Thorson helped pin the Ravens inside their own 15-yard line a couple of times.
Minnesota now has to decide whether it wants to stay with the veteran or trust a rookie who could potentially hold the job for years, much like they did when they settled the kicker spot with Will Reichard. If the rotation carries into the Broncos game and both stay steady, this one could go all the way to cut day.
Inside linebacker presents another decision, this time for the No. 4 spot behind Blake Cashman, Eric Wilson, and rookie Jake Golday. Ivan Pace Jr. entered camp with something to prove after being a starter out of camp last year before getting demoted after a couple of games.
He struggled in coverage and missed plays, which eventually pushed him to special teams and kept him off the defense for most of the season. This summer hasn’t been clean either, and undrafted rookie Jacob Roberts has pushed hard for the job.
Roberts has stood out in coverage, picked up Brian Flores’s scheme quickly, and made enough plays in practice and preseason action to earn a real look. Minnesota now has to decide whether Pace has shown enough improvement to keep the spot or whether Roberts has done enough to take it.
A strong finish Friday could be the difference.
The final battle is along the defensive line, where the Vikings could still be choosing who gets the sixth spot if they keep six players there. Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange, both drafted earlier this year, are expected to stick despite the usual rookie growing pains.
Jalen Redmond, Levi Drake-Rodriguez, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins are also locked in, leaving Elijah Williams and Isaiahh Loudermilk fighting for what may be the last opening. Williams has built momentum after finishing strong last season and has carried that into August by clogging run lanes, shedding blocks, and getting into the backfield.
He’s done enough to land on some Mr. Mankato watchlists.
Loudermilk, a veteran addition in the offseason, has also flashed and made his own case for a roster spot. Williams looks like the favorite because he’s younger, homegrown, and offers more upside, but the Vikings could still surprise people if they lean toward experience.
If that happens, Loudermilk would probably need a big night against Denver to force the issue.
In Other News...
Vikings May Be Ready To Cut Ties With Familiar Kwesi Picks
With roster cuts looming, the Vikings are facing a familiar kind of evaluation: sorting through players tied to former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and deciding which ones still fit the plan. The list is not long, but it is notable, with J.J. McCarthy and Walter Rouse among the names being weighed as Minnesota trims down and tries to sharpen the edges of the roster.
For the current regime, the question is less about where those players were drafted than whether they can justify a spot now. The team has not gotten much return from Adofo-Mensahs draft classes, and these final decisions are another sign that the Vikings are willing to move on if performance and roster math point in that direction. One more familiar name could be caught in the same squeeze before the deadline arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Vikings End Preseason With One Problem Fans Cant Ignore
The Vikings closed the preseason with a 34-6 loss to the Broncos, and the game only deepened the sense that the roster still has a sore spot to address before the real games begin. Denvers quarterbacks Sam Ehlinger and Jarrett Stidham moved the offense with too much ease, while Minnesota settled for field goals and never found the end zone for the second straight game.
Jacob Thomas injury added another uneasy note to a night that already felt more like a warning than a tuneup. With the preseason now in the books, the Vikings head toward Week 1 carrying a defense that was too easy to move and an offense that still has to find a sharper finish. [Read more 🡒]
Kirk Cousins Landed In The Same QB Problem He Left Minnesota For
Kirk Cousins appears to be in familiar territory again as he settles into his first offseason with the Raiders. He is viewed as the favorite to open the season as Las Vegas starting quarterback, but head coach Klint Kubiak has stopped short of officially naming him the guy, leaving the door open in a situation Cousins knows well from his time in Minnesota.
Cousins left the Vikings after it became clear the team wanted a path to a younger successor, then found a similar setup with the Falcons, where he also had to contend with a younger quarterback pushing for the job. Now on a two-year deal with the Raiders, he is once again being linked to a competition, this time with rookie Fernando Mendoza in the mix as the team sorts out its future under center. [Read more 🡒]