NFL: Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants
Minnesota Vikings safety Jacob Thomas (39) intercepts a pass intended for New York Giants wide receiver Ryan Miller (5) during an NFL preseason game on Aug. 15, 2026, in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
There weren’t a ton of surprises from the Minnesota Vikings when they officially announced their initial 53-man roster.
The most notable was keeping J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer (who was later released on Monday) at quarterback in addition to Kyler Murray and Carson Wentz. It will be interesting to see how the Vikings proceed at quarterback ahead of the Sept. 13 opener against the Green Bay Packers. It’s a polarizing discussion that will shape how the Vikings are viewed in the short and long term.
There also were some feel-good stories as a few underdogs did enough to stick around. Here’s a tale of the tape for the undrafted free agents that made themselves too valuable to cut.
Jacob Thomas
Position: Safety
Age: 22
Height: 6 feet, 1 inch
Weight: 210 pounds
College: James Madison
Analysis: Asked in training camp why he signed with the Vikings, Thomas said it mostly came down to his interest in playing for defensive coordinator Brian Flores. It was a good choice considering Thomas turned himself into arguably best story of training camp in the summer.
His intelligence has been on display at every turn as he has proved he can be trusted in all situations. Thomas went from being a dark horse to make the team info a virtual lock. It isn’t hyperbole to think Thomas might be able to carve out real playing time from the onset.
The only worry with Thomas right now is the severity an ankle injury he suffered in the exhibition finale at Denver. Will he have to miss an extended period of time? The Vikings, and Flores, hope not.
Brett Thorson
Position: Punter
Age: 26
Height: 6 feet, 1 inch
Weight: 240 pounds
College: Georgia
Analysis: The fact that Thorson signed with the Vikings seemed like a strategic play on his part. Though the position group already included Johnny Hekker, a veteran who signed as a free agent, there was reason for Thorson to believe that he could win the job.
Not only did Thorson have the pure leg strength required to flip the field with regularity, he brings a wide variety of punts that kept opposing returners off balance.
The lone question mark surrounding Thorson was whether he was going to be effective as a holder for place kicker Will Reichard. That’s something Thorson proved more than capable of throughout training camp and the exhibition slate.
The potential that Thorson possesses ultimately made Hekker expendable.
Dillon Bell
The undrafted wide receiver out of Georgia originally made the 53-man roster only to be later cut on Monday.
Brosmer released
After he somewhat surprisingly made the initial 53-man roster, Max Brosmer has been released by the Vikings. A source confirmed the news to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
That decision leaves the Vikings with Kyler Murray, Carson Wentz and J.J. McCarthy as the quarterbacks on their roster. The assumption is that Brosmer would be a prime candidate to stick around on the practice squad if he clears waivers.
It felt like the writing might be on the wall for Brosmer as soon as the Vikings were awarded waiver claims on Nick Samac from the Carolina Panthers and Trevor Keegan from the Dallas Cowboys.
Though bringing in Samac and Keegan helped the Vikings bolster their depth on the offensive line, it also left them needing to make a pair of corresponding roster moves to make room for them on the roster.
That signaled the end of the line for Brosmer, a former fan favorite for the Gophers in college who turned himself into a valuable piece of the puzzle for the Vikings after signing as an undrafted free agent.
The hope for Kevin O’Connell was to bring Brosmer along slowly last season as a rookie. Those plans changed after McCarthy and Wentz suffered injuries that, in turn, forced the Vikings to throw Brosmer into the fire for what ended up being a 26-0 shutout loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
It’s fair to say Brosmer hasn’t looked like the same player since that humbling experience. Though he has still performed well in practice, his confidence has looked a bit shaken when he has been on the field in a game.
Practice squad additions
Though the Vikings added 15 players to the practice squad on Monday, they still have room for another player. That spot could be reserved for Brosmer assuming he clears waivers over the next 24 hours.
Here’s a look at who the Vikings signed to their initial practice squad (listed in alphabetical order).
Da’Veawn Armstead … Cornerback … North Texas
Michael Briscoe … Receiver … Cal Poly
Henry Byrd … Offensive Line … Princeton
Gavin Gerhardt … Offensive Line … Cincinnati
Joshua Gray … Offensive Line … Oregon State
Kahlef Hailassie … Safety … Western Kentucky
Bangally Kamara … Linebacker … Kansas
Marshall Lang … Tight End … Northwestern
Tristan Leigh … Offensive Line … Clemson
Jack Nelson … Offensive Line … Wisconsin
Bryce Phillips … Cornerback … San Diego State
Jahvaree Ritzie … Defensive Line … North Carolina
Trayvon Rudolph … Receiver … Toledo
Cam’Ron Stewart … Edge Rusher … Temple
Tavierre Thomas … Safety … Ferris State
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