Minnesota Vikings News and Links: It’s About To Go Down!

Rookies are reporting to training camp today. I wonder if any true doofi will be camped out to see them walk in the building.
All the nonsense is about to be ramped up again after the summer hiatus.
The first training camp practice is 6 days away.
Rookie Arrival: First-year players report to the TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota, on July 26.
Veteran Arrival: Returning players and full-squad activities begin two days later on July 28.
2026 Vikings Training Camp Full Schedule
https://www.vikings.com/schedule/vikings-events/training-camp/schedule
DATE : TIME : PRACTICE
Saturday, Aug. 1 : Noon- 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 3 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 4 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 5 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 7 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 8 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Sunday, Aug. 9 : 5 – 11 p.m. : 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 11 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 12 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 13 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Monday, Aug. 17 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 19 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m. : Joint Practice with Baltimore Ravens
Thursday, Aug. 20 : Noon – 5 p.m. : 2:30 p.m. : Joint Practice with Baltimore Ravens
The Minnesota Vikings 2026 preseason schedule features three matchups
Week 1: Saturday, August 15 at New York Giants (1:00 PM ET)
Week 2: Saturday, August 22 vs. Baltimore Ravens (12:00 PM ET)
Week 3: Friday, August 28 at Denver Broncos (Time TBD)
Minnesota Vikings News and Links
After 47 years with the Vikings, an equipment manager gets his Hall of Fame moment
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7463786/2026/07/24/vikings-equipment-manager-dennis-ryan/
For more than four decades, Dennis Ryan mostly escaped the headlines. He did what he was determined to do: remain unheralded, contribute in a way where you’d have to know to really know. Ryan did his job and left the Minnesota Vikings’ facility later than anyone else without extra praise or prestige.
He was a fixer, confidant, mechanic, barista, manager, planner and innovator. Vikings Hall of Famer John Randle equated Ryan to the person, cloaked head to foot in soot, who shovels coal into a train engine without the passengers ever seeing his face. Former Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins respected Ryan so much that he recently sent him a lengthy voice memo detailing the extent of his reverence.
Reach out to any well-known wearer of purple, and they will rave about Ryan.
“People talk about Bud Grant being the cornerstone of the Vikings, the identity of the Vikings, who the Vikings were and are, and who they should be,” former Minnesota linebacker and coach Pete Bercich said. “I would have to put Dennis Ryan tied with him or 1B because he is the man who put Bud Grant’s vision into reality.”
…
Ryan, who retired three years ago, worked 922 games for the franchise, including 705 consecutive games from 1979 to 2021. Last spring, he received an award of excellence from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He earned the honor for an anonymous career spent in camera-free spaces. He touched Vikings players and teams in ways both tangible and mystical.
For that, for all of the time and work and impact, he deserves his day in the sun.
One Vikings Rookie With the Best Chance to Surprise Everyone With Camp Underway
https://www.si.com/nfl/vikings/onsi/one-vikings-rookie-best-chance-surprise-everyone-camp-underway-01ky8ek0hhcv
Vikings rookie could become their next blue-chip prospect in 2026
https://thevikingage.com/minnesota-vikings-rookie-could-become-next-blue-chip-prospect-2026
Minnesota Vikings projected depth chart going into training camp highlights fascinating battles at crucial positions
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/minnesota-vikings-training-camp-projected-depth-chart-kevin-oconnell-jj-mccarthy-kyler-murray/
A Vikings 53-Man Roster Projection as Training Camp Begins
https://vikingsterritory.com/2026/news/top_news/vikings-53-man-trainin-camp
Vikings don’t need this familiar free agent despite the growing buzz
https://thevikingage.com/minnesota-vikings-dont-need-free-agent-jadeveon-clowney
Rumor Begins Swirling about the Vikings Setting Off Fireworks if QBs Stumble
https://vikingsterritory.com/2026/news/top_news/rumor-swirling-the-vikings
If Flores Loves James Pierre, Vikings Fans Should Too
https://zonecoverage.com/2026/minnesota-vikings-news/if-flores-loves-james-pierre-vikings-fans-should-too/
Vikings Trade Pitch Sends Out $18 Million Playmaker Before Big Extension
https://heavy.com/sports/nfl/minnesota-vikings/jordan-addison-trade-dk-metcalf-nolan-teasley/
Thor Nystrom of SKOR North on Thursday, July 23 compared Vikings GM Nolan Teasley’s influence on the DK Metcalf trade from the Seattle Seahawks to the Pittsburgh Steelers ahead of last season to a situation that could unfold with Addison in Minnesota at some point in 2027.
“Nolan Teasley will be aggressive with trades,” Nystrom said. “Seattle made trades over the years that were wildly unpopular in the moment, but they were comfortable with the value that they were getting and they ended up getting vindicated on the other side of most of them.”
“I think the analog to that wouldn’t be [Justin] Jefferson, I would think that would be Addison,” Nystrom continued. “At the time that trade happened, [Metcalf] was heading toward a big extension. … You go one offseason from now, a year into the future, Jordan Addison will be heading into the last year of his rookie deal.”
…
As Nystrom noted, Minnesota is unlikely to move Addison before next offseason. However, a mid-season deal ahead of the early November trade deadline could be in play depending on how circumstances develop.
Teams currently in need of a wideout that might be willing to go as high as a first-round pick include the Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Commanders. Both are in the AFC, which would limit the Vikings’ exposure if sending Addison out before his second contract ultimately proves a miscalculation.
How Minnesota’s quarterback situation plays out in 2026 could also factor into Addison’s future with the team. Kyler Murray and JJ McCarthy, a top-10 pick of the organization in 2024, are currently battling for the QB1 role with training camp set to begin in late July.
Vikings’ $13 Million Safety Could Be Released Amid Competition
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/vikings-13-million-safety-could-201410236.html
The Minnesota Vikings have an interesting situation brewing in their safety room ahead of the 2026 regular season.
We are still awaiting a decision from the legendary Harrison Smith, and we could still be far away from one. Minnesota drafted Jakobe Thomas in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, and he could be the wild card. Minnesota also still employs Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, and Jay Ward as other rosterable safeties.
One of them, however, could be on the outs if he doesn’t have a good training camp.
Vikings S Theo Jackson Could Be on Roster Bubble
Austen Bundy of FanSided mentioned this in a recent piece and noted how Theo Jackson could be on the outside looking in.
“The 27-year-old was demoted out of the starting safety role he earned in 2025 after a poor performance which featured just 22 solo tackles, a single pass defended and zero picks. He’s currently back at the top of the depth chart, but there’s no guarantee he’ll stay there considering he’s entering the start of a fully guaranteed $12.615 million extension signed last year. Minnesota is going to be looking for a return on its investment.”
An All NFC North Team Ahead of the 2026 NFL Season
https://vikingsterritory.com/2026/news/opinion/all-nfc-north-team-2026-nfl
Minnesota Vikings have some tremendous players on the roster who are very irreplaceable
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/minnesota-vikings-irreplaceable-players-justin-jefferson-tj-hockenson-josh-metellus/
Are Vikings Preserving J.J. McCarthy’s Trade Value?
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/vikings-preserving-j-j-mccarthys-175400251.html
The Minnesota Vikings’ quarterback situation continues to generate debate, and SKOR North’s Phil Mackey believes the organization’s plan may be more calculated than many initially thought.
“We should address that,” Mackey said. “I think the overwhelming sentiment on this show, for sure, from myself and Judd, going back months was none of this smells right.”
From the moment Murray joined the Vikings in free agency, Mackey felt the organization had a bigger plan than simply adding an experienced backup.
“You’re bringing in a quarterback. To me, it was pretty clear that Kyler was brought in to take the starting job from J.J. McCarthy,” Mackey said.
“He wasn’t brought in as some veteran sage backup,” Mackey said. “They brought Kyler in with the idea that, hey, that job is yours to take if you want it.”
“They’re framing it up as a competition,” Mackey said, “but really at the end of the day, you don’t bring Kyler Murray in to make him a backup.”
“You’re bringing him in to test drive him for a year to see if you want to give him a long-term contract,” Mackey said.
“The reporting was that apparently the Vikings did offer a multi-year contract and Kyler’s camp said, ‘No, we’d like to bet on ourselves this year and then kind of see where 2027 free agency takes us,’” Mackey said.
“So with that as the backdrop, I still think there’s a good chance the Vikings are doing this to keep J.J. McCarthy’s value as high as possible,” Mackey said.
NFL Insider Raises Major Concern About Vikings’ QB Plan
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nfl-insider-raises-major-concern-020311851.html
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert gave the edge to Kyler Murray in a column published on Thursday morning.
Murray was thought to be a stabilizer for the quarterback position when the Vikings signed him to a one-year deal in March. There has been speculation over the last couple of weeks as to who will start at the quarterback spot. While it appears that this may still be a competition, Seifert notes that Murray appears to be the favorite for the job. He expanded on this in his column on Thursday morning.
Murray is the heavy favorite to win the job, but it’s impossible to pull eyes away from any unsettled quarterback situation. In his previous seven NFL seasons, Murray has displayed the arm talent necessary to succeed in O’Connell’s offense. But how long will it take him to grow accustomed to what is admittedly a complex scheme, one that requires active eyes and patient feet in the pocket?
2026 NFL training camp previews, projections for all 32 teams
https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49107696/2026-nfl-training-camp-preview-storylines-53-man-roster-projections#MIN
Minnesota Vikings
Biggest storyline: Who will start at QB in Week 1? Kyler Murray is the heavy favorite to win the job, but it’s impossible to pull eyes away from any unsettled quarterback situation. In his previous seven NFL seasons, Murray has displayed the arm talent necessary to succeed in Kevin O’Connell’s offense. But how long will it take him to grow accustomed to what is admittedly a complex scheme, one that requires active eyes and patient feet in the pocket? Murray admitted during OTAs that it had been a challenge to pursue the necessary familiarity while taking only half the reps. Meanwhile, J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 pick of the 2024 draft, is fighting for his football future — at least with the Vikings — after only 10 NFL starts. — Kevin Seifert
Minnesota Vikings Quarterback Competition: Predicting when Kevin O’Connell will decide is a difficult proposition
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/predicting-minnesota-vikings-quarterback-competition-end-jj-mccarthy-kyler-murray-kevin-oconnell/
2026 Vikings Training Camp Preview: Quarterbacks
https://www.vikings.com/news/2026-training-camp-preview-quarterbacks
Minnesota Vikings could strike a trade during training camp, and these players could be Nolan Teasley’s targets
https://atozsports.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings-news/minnesota-vikings-trade-candidates-theo-jackson-ivan-pace-jr-kyler-murray-jj-mccarthy/
The Vikings’ Time For Talk Is Over As Training Camp Arrives
https://zonecoverage.com/2026/minnesota-vikings-news/the-vikings-time-for-talk-is-over-as-training-camp-arrives/
Lack Of A True Ball Hawk Will Hold the Vikings’ Defense Back
https://zonecoverage.com/2026/minnesota-vikings-news/lack-of-a-true-ball-hawk-will-hold-the-vikings-defense-back/
Minnesota Vikings Get Bad News From ESPN Before NFL Regular Season
https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/minnesota-vikings-bad-news-espn-182950239.html
Yore Mock
Trade with New York Jets
Sent: #12
Received: #15, #68
…
Pick 15 – Ellis Robinson IV CB Georgia (6’1″, 180 lbs)
Pick 44 – Tae Johnson S Notre Dame (6’2″, 175 lbs)
Pick 68 – Jadan Baugh RB Florida (6’1″, 237 lbs)
Pick 76 – Niki Prongos OT Stanford (6’7″, 295 lbs)
Pick 87 – Chris Cole LB Georgia (6’3″, 220 lbs)
Pick 148 – Ezra Christensen DT Colorado (6’2″, 280 lbs)
Pick 150 – Isaiah Sategna WR Oklahoma (5’11”, 185 lbs)
Pick 190 – Gabe Harris Jr. EDGE Georgia (6’4″, 250 lbs)
Pick 205 – Luke Montgomery IOL Ohio State (6’4″, 308 lbs)
Pick 211 – Fluff Bothwell RB Mississippi State (5’10”, 230 lbs)
Pick 240 – Earl Little II S Ohio State (6’1″, 192 lbs)
Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:
While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm
No discussion of politics or religion
No feeding of the trolls
Leave the gender hatred at the door
Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away



