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Tai Felton Tai Felton Plays exclusively on special teams
Tue, Sep 9, 2025, 11:15 PM
Felton did not play a single offensive snap in Monday's 27-24 win over the Bears.
Analysis: Felton played 19 snaps with the Vikings' special teams unit, while failing to see any usage in Minnesota's offense. The rookie wideout is behind teammates Justin Jefferson, Jalen Nailor and Adam Thielen in the wide receiver pecking order, so Felton faces an uphill battle for playing time outside of his role on special teams. Seeing rotational snaps at receiver will become even more difficult when teammate Jordan Addison returns from his three-game suspension. Felton should be ignored for fantasy purposes when the Vikings host the Falcons in Week 2. |
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Jalen Nailor Jalen Nailor Just one reception but starts at WR
Tue, Sep 9, 2025, 4:46 PM
Nailor had one reception for 28 yards on three targets in Monday's win at Chicago.
Analysis: While Nailor had just one catch, there were some positives for his fantasy value. He played despite suffering a hand injury that sidelined late in August and had his status for the start of the season in question. Nailor also started at wide receiver opposite Justin Jefferson over Adam Thielen and had more opportunities (Thielen had one target). Nailor also played on 49 of the offense's 56 snaps, compared to 32 for Thielen. It was thought Thielen may step in to the No. 2 WR role after his trade from Carolina and with Nailor's hand injury during training camp. However, Nailor may have just two more games with a prominent role given Jordan Addison will return from a three-game suspension. |
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Adam Thielen Adam Thielen Just one target in return to Vikes
Tue, Sep 9, 2025, 4:41 PM
Thielen was not able to bring down his only target in Monday's win over Chicago. He did catch a two-point conversion.
Analysis: Jalen Nailor got the starting nod at wide receiver opposite Justin Jefferson and had more opportunities (1 reception on three targets). Nailor also played on 49 of the offense's 56 snaps, compared to 32 for Thielen. It was thought Thielen may step in to the No. 2 WR role after his trade from Carolina and with Nailor's hand injury during training camp. However, it looks like Thielen will begin the season as the No. 3 receiver, though he could become more involved since he joined the team in late August. |
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T.J. Hockenson T.J. Hockenson Three catches in Week 1 win
Mon, Sep 8, 2025, 11:10 PM
Hockenson secured three of four targets for 15 yards in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Bears on Monday night.
Analysis: The Vikings' passing attack was mostly quiet the majority of the night as J.J. McCarthy made his NFL regular-season debut, helping lead to a modest showing for the veteran tight end. Hockenson entered the season with elevated expectations considering he's now nearly two years removed from suffering multiple knee ligament tears in Week 16 of the 2023 season, but his production will naturally be largely dependent on how quickly McCarthy gets his feet under him. Hockenson will next take aim at the Falcons defense in a Week 2 home matchup on Sunday night. |
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Aaron Jones Aaron Jones Flashes as receiver in win
Mon, Sep 8, 2025, 11:04 PM
Jones rushed eight times for 23 yards and brought in all three targets for 44 yards and a touchdown in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Bears on Monday night.
Analysis: Jones saw new backfield mate Jordan Mason outpace him by seven carries and 45 rushing yards, but the former made a significant impact as a receiver. Jones shared the team lead in receiving yards with Justin Jefferson, and he also recorded a nifty 27-yard touchdown grab down the right side of the field with just under 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. It remains to be seen if Monday night's ground-attack pecking order will have staying power, but it's conceivable the 30-year-old Jones, who logged a career-high 255 carries over 17 regular-season games in 2024 and came into the season with 1,432 career rush attempts, is slotted into more of a complementary role on the ground behind the younger Mason on the majority of weeks while still retaining a solid pass-catching role. |
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Jordan Mason Jordan Mason Handles lead rushing role Monday
Mon, Sep 8, 2025, 10:56 PM
Mason rushed 15 times for 68 yards and brought in his only target for seven yards in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Bears on Monday night.
Analysis: Mason comfortably led the Vikings in rush attempts and rushing yards, outpacing the only other running back to log a carry, Aaron Jones, by seven carries and 45 yards. The Week 1 usage between the two players is eye-catching to say the least, considering Jones is the established incumbent of the ground attack under a returning coaching staff. Nevertheless, Mason is a proven commodity as an offseason addition, and head coach Kevin O'Connell may be most comfortable affording the latter the bulk of early-down work on most weeks. The next opportunity to see how the pecking order shakes out comes in a Week 2 home matchup against the Falcons on Sunday night. |
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J.J. McCarthy J.J. McCarthy Leads comeback victory Monday
Mon, Sep 8, 2025, 10:50 PM
McCarthy completed 13 of 20 passes for 143 yards with two touchdowns and one interception while adding two carries for 25 yards and another score in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Bears on Monday night. He also threw a two-point conversion pass.
Analysis: Making his long-awaited regular-season debut, McCarthy mostly scuffled through the first three quarters before igniting a 21-point comeback in the final period. The 2024 first-round pick connected with Justin Jefferson and Aaron Jones for fourth-quarter touchdown passes of 13 and 27 yards, respectively, and he followed those scoring strikes with a 14-yard touchdown run to extend Minnesota's 20-17 lead at the 2:53 mark of the fourth quarter. McCarthy also completed a two-point conversion pass to Adam Thielen, and he connected with seven different targets overall when factoring in that scoring toss. The second-year signal-caller will now prepare for his home regular-season debut, a Week 2 matchup against the Falcons on Sunday night. |
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Justin Jefferson Justin Jefferson Records TD grab in win
Mon, Sep 8, 2025, 10:46 PM
Jefferson secured four of seven targets for 44 yards and a touchdown and rushed once for four yards in the Vikings' 27-24 win over the Bears on Monday night.
Analysis: Like the rest of the Vikings' offense, Jefferson had a mostly forgettable first three quarters. However, the star wideout eventually finished with team-high reception and target totals, and he recorded his first touchdown from J.J. McCarthy on a 13-yard grab early in the fourth quarter. Jefferson should naturally serve as McCarthy's top target as the season unfolds, and it was clear the second-year signal-caller was still getting acclimated to the NFL game in a tough road environment Monday night after a knee injury wiped out his entire 2024 rookie campaign. Jefferson will be in what should be more favorable conditions for strong production when the Vikings get a visit from the Falcons for a Week 2 home matchup on Sunday night. |
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Tim Jones Tim Jones Elevated for Week 1
Mon, Sep 8, 2025, 3:20 PM
The Vikings elevated Jones from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of Monday's NFC North clash against the Bears.
Analysis: Jones caught on with the Vikings' practice squad after being cut from the initial 53-man roster at the conclusion of training camp, but the fourth-year wideout will suit up for Monday's regular-season opener. He played all 17 regular-season games in each of the past three years as a member of the Jaguars and split his snaps between offense and special teams. Jones will likely be limited to special-teams coverage but could see some offensive snaps should the Vikings wide receiver corps suffer an injury. |
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Zavier Scott Zavier Scott Out for Week 1
Sat, Sep 6, 2025, 4:53 PM
Scott (ankle) has been ruled out for Monday night's game against the Bears.
Analysis: Scott was injured in the Vikings' preseason finale back on Aug. 22 and will be unavailable for the team's Week 1 opener. He was unlikely to see much, if any, playing time to begin with behind Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason and Ty Chandler. |
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Zavier Scott Zavier Scott Still working through ankle issue
Thu, Sep 4, 2025, 5:07 PM
Scott (ankle) did not participate in Thursday's practice.
Analysis: Scott is nursing an ankle injury that he suffered during the Vikings' preseason finale against the Titans. He'll have two more chances to return to practice and give himself a shot at playing in Monday's regular-season opener against the Bears. |
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Tai Felton Tai Felton Absent from injury report
Thu, Sep 4, 2025, 5:04 PM
Felton (arm) was not listed on Thursday's injury report.
Analysis: The rookie third-rounder was dealing with arm soreness in the tail end of training camp, but he appears to be past the issue given his absence from Thursday's injury report. Felton is on track to play Monday against the Bears, when he'll make his NFL regular-season debut. With Jordan Addison (suspension) missing the first three games of the season, Felton is in line to see rotational snaps at wide receiver behind Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Jalen Nailor. |
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Jalen Nailor Jalen Nailor Logs full practice Thursday
Thu, Sep 4, 2025, 4:40 PM
Nailor (hand) practiced fully Thursday.
Analysis: Nailor suffered a hand injury in practice Aug. 14 and was sidelined until getting back on the field for Wednesday's unofficial session. With no limitations to speak of one day later, he's set to handle WR reps behind veterans Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen to begin the season due to Jordan Addison's three-game suspension. In a part-time role last year, Nailor gathered in 28 of 42 targets for 414 yards and six touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. |
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Justin Jefferson Justin Jefferson Avoids injury report
Thu, Sep 4, 2025, 4:25 PM
Jefferson (hamstring) wasn't listed on the Vikings' initial Week 1 injury report Thursday.
Analysis: Jefferson suffered a mild left hamstring strain in practice July 24, and while he was able to begin working out on the side with team trainers within one week, he didn't return to the practice field until Aug. 18. The Vikings kept him out of all three of their preseason games with an eye toward him being healthy Week 1. He more or less confirmed as much Thursday, telling Ben Goessling of The Minnesota Star Tribune that his hamstring feels great entering the season. "Missing the whole training camp and just staying in that training room definitely gets [to be] dark days, being by yourself and competing with yourself, but you got to think about the ending result: having a healthy body, having a strong body to maintain a full season," Jefferson said. He thus is poised to serve as the Vikings' top target for second-year pro and first-year starting QB J.J. McCarthy on Monday in Chicago and beyond. |
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Jalen Nailor Jalen Nailor Trending toward playing Week 1
Sun, Aug 31, 2025, 1:21 PM
The Vikings have optimism that Nailor (hand) will be able to play against Chicago in Week 1 as long as he doesn't have any setbacks, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports.
Analysis: Nailor has been dealing with a hand injury since mid-August and played in only one of Minnesota's three preseason contests while missing multiple weeks of practice. Nonetheless, it appears he's more likely than not to suit up Week 1 provided that he doesn't hit any more roadblocks between now and next Sunday. Nailor could take on an increased role early in the campaign with Jordan Addison set to miss the first three weeks while suspended. |
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Adam Thielen Adam Thielen Revises deal to clear cap space
Sat, Aug 30, 2025, 10:09 AM
Thielen and the Vikings have agreed to a revised contract that reduces his salary by $2 million and removes $4 million in incentives, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
Analysis: Per Pelissero, Thielen volunteered to take less money in order to help the Vikings clear cap space and improve their chances of competing. It's another indication that Thielen is thrilled to be back in Minnesota after two campaigns with Carolina. The Panthers dealt Thielen to the Vikings on Thursday, and the veteran wideout's presence should help Minnesota absorb the early-season suspension of Jordan Addison, who won't be available until Week 4. |
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Jalen Nailor Jalen Nailor Facing competition from Thielen
Wed, Aug 27, 2025, 9:26 AM
Nailor (hand) has new competition for playing time after the Vikings traded for WR Adam Thielen on Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Nailor's hand injury seemingly was part of the motivation for the trade, potentially rendering him unavailable during the same part of the season when Jordan Addison will be suspended (Weeks 1-3). With rookie Tai Felton (arm) also banged up and perhaps not considered ready for a full-time role, the Vikings spent days trying to pry Thielen away from Carolina without giving up an early draft pick. Nailor, meanwhile, hasn't practiced in two weeks, with Darren Wolfson of KSTP reporting in mid-August that the Vikings were concerned about his hand injury. Vikings coach Kevin Stefanski said Nailor was week-to-week and declined to comment on whether surgery was a possibility. |
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Adam Thielen Adam Thielen Traded back to Minnesota
Wed, Aug 27, 2025, 8:49 AM
The Panthers are trading Thielen to the Vikings for an exchange of Day 3 draft picks in 2026 and 2027, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: The trade has been rumored for a week, with the teams finally able to work out terms Wednesday. The Panthers get a 2026 fifth-round pick and 2027 fourth-round pick, while the Vikings get a conditional 2026 seventh-round pick and a 2027 fifth-rounder. Thielen, 35, could be in Minnesota's starting lineup soon, with Jordan Addison suspended for Weeks 1-3 and Justin Jefferson (hamstring), Jalen Nailor (hand) and Tai Felton (arm) all dealing with injuries this summer. Jefferson, at least, is expected to be ready for Week 1 at Chicago after returning to practice last week. Thielen played alongside Jefferson from 2020 to 2022, scoring 30 TDs in 45 regular-season games despite modest production otherwise (70.3 catches for 789.0 yards on 103.3 targets per season). |
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C.J. Ham C.J. Ham Sent to IR
Tue, Aug 26, 2025, 8:52 PM
Ham (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday.
Analysis: Ham underwent ankle surgery in February, and it's unclear if this injury is related. Regardless, Ham will miss at least four games to start the year. The Vikings don't have another fullback on the roster, so their scheme may need to be altered in the short term. |
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Carson Wentz Carson Wentz Set to sign with Minnesota
Sun, Aug 24, 2025, 9:44 AM
The Vikings are signing Wentz to a contract, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network report.
Analysis: Wentz had a tryout with Minnesota on Saturday, and the team apparently liked what it saw from the veteran QB. Heading into the weekend, Sam Howell had been slated to back up starter J.J. McCarthy for the Vikings, but Howell was traded to the Eagles on Sunday in a deal that also included draft picks. The trade cleared the way for Wentz to be the obvious No. 2 QB in Minnesota, giving the club a veteran backup with plenty of prior success and a mentor for McCarthy, who hasn't yet played in his first NFL regular-season game. |
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