The Minnesota Vikings just dropped their 53-man roster on Sunday night, and man, talk about some head-scratchers for Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers. We’re talking four quarterbacks on the active roster! Yeah, you read that right. Four. Even with all the cutdown day drama, some huge questions are still hanging over this squad, especially when you look at how thin they’re running in other critical spots.
This Roster Feels Far From Finalized
First off, J.J. McCarthy survived the chopping block, which, depending on how much you believe in the third-year guy, might be a surprise. But then they also kept Max Brosmer, leaving them with **four** signal-callers. Seriously, who does that these days? It’s not like other positions are stacked. The Vikings are rolling with only eight offensive linemen. EIGHT! And on defense, their EDGE rusher room looks super thin with just four guys, especially after Tyler Batty went down with an ACL tear. This roster feels like it’s barely holding itself together right now, and you know there have to be more moves coming. Remember last year when they traded for Adam Thielen *after* cutdown day because Jordan Addison had a suspension coming and both Jalen Nailor and Justin Jefferson were banged up? History could definitely repeat itself, especially in that EDGE room where Bo Richter and Chaz Chambliss are the only depth pieces.
Rookie Surprises and Special Teams Guts
Now for some pleasant surprises, though. Dillon Bell, a UDFA from Georgia, made the team, and that’s just awesome. He brings a totally different vibe to the receiver room. This dude’s built more like a running back, which means he’s probably gonna be a YAC monster on screens and jet sweeps. Dontae Fleming, another receiver who impressed in preseason, got waived with an injury, so Bell really made his case. We gotta wonder if he’s gonna be a returner or that gadget piece everyone loves in a new-look offense, maybe even over Myles Price. And Bell wasn’t the only Georgia UDFA to make it! Brett Thorson, his college teammate, snatched the punter job from 14-year veteran Johnny Hekker. Thorson barely edged Hekker in yards per punt, 41.5 to 40.0, and they both had five punts inside the 20. The real kicker? Thorson won the Ray Guy Award in 2025, but never held field goals in college because coach Kirby Smart had quarterbacks do it! But he stepped up in preseason, held for kicks, and there were no issues. That’s guts right there!
So, yeah, this Vikings roster is wild, and it’s far from settled before they even face the Packers. The big question is: what kind of moves are still on the horizon? Will they shore up that O-line or find more EDGE help? Will Dillon Bell become a legitimate weapon and how will Thorson handle the regular season holding duties? Keep your eyes peeled, because this team is definitely not done tweaking before the real action starts.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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