The Minnesota Vikings released their 53-man roster on Sunday night, providing more clarity for what this team will look like when they kick off against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. But even with all the moves, both surprising and unexpected, plenty of questions remain on the Vikings' roster.
Despite speculation that Minnesota could move on from J.J. McCarthy, he survived cutdown day. That in itself could be surprising, depending on your confidence in the third-year quarterback. However, the Vikings also kept Max Brosmer, leaving the team with four quarterbacks.
Other positions also looked thin. Minnesota only kept eight offensive linemen, and although four EDGE rushers may have always been in the cards before a potential free-agent signing,
the loss of Tyler Batty to an ACL tear makes the position ground look that much thinner.
Here are my takeaways from cutdown day and what I think it could mean for the future.
Takeaways from the Vikings 53-man roster for Week 1
This roster is far from finalized
I touched on this in the opening, and even though I could focus on any one position group, I think the general feeling is that more moves are to come. The Vikings currently have 26 offensive players and 24 defensive players. Would Minnesota really prioritize keeping four quarterbacks on the active roster when an already-thin EDGE room just lost one of its top rotational players?
The Vikings traded for Adam Thielen last year after cutdown day. Jordan Addison's pending suspension and injury concerns with Jalen Nailor and Justin Jefferson expedited that trade. I'd be surprised if Minnesota rolls with only Bo Richter and Chaz Chambliss off the bench in their EDGE room in two weeks.
Dillon Bell's inclusion is surprising but welcome
It felt like the Vikings' top five wideouts were all locks to make the team. What wasn't as certain was if Minnesota would try to make room for a sixth receiver after strong preseasons from Dillon Bell and Dontae Fleming.
Bell, a UDFA out of Georgia, brings a different element and skill set to the receiver room. He's built more like a running back, helping lead to yards-after-the-catch ability on screens and jet sweeps. Fleming impressed as a more traditional receiver, but he was waived with an injury designation.
Now, does this mean Bell finds the field more as a returner, with an expanded role possible for Myles Price? Or do the Vikings keep Price as their main returner and use Bell as a gadget piece in a new-look offense?
Potential over resumé gives Thorson the edge at punter
Bell wasn't the only Georgia UDFA to make the team. College teammate Brett Thorson won the punter job, beating out 14-year veteran Johnny Hekker. Thorson narrowly beat out Hekker in yards per punt (41.5 to 40.0), while both had five punts inside the 20-yard line during the preseason.
However, punting was only half of the equation in the competition. Although Thorson won the Ray Guy Award as the nation's best punter in 2025, he didn't hold on field goals during his time in Georgia. Head coach Kirby Smart traditionally had quarterbacks hold during the kicking operation.
That could easily have given Hekker an advantage throughout camp and the preseason. But Thorson held on several field goal attempts in preseason games, and there were never reports of his holding being an issue during practice.
The Vikings are hoping Thorson can fill the shoes of Ryan Wright, who had served as the team's punter since 2022 before signing with the Saints this offseason.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Takeaways from the Vikings 53-man roster for Week 1
