Official: MN Vikings Activate Linebackers Off Injured Reserve

On Sunday afternoon the Minnesota Vikings will return to the football field for the first time in two weeks when they host the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium for a rare 2025 noon game.

In fact, between early-season primetime matchups and early morning kickoffs overseas, Sunday will be the Vikings second noon start in seven games. Want a positive spin? The only other noon start of the year so far also came at home, right before the Vikings left for Dublin.

That’s right, Minnesota’s only other 12 PM start was week three against the Cincinnati Bengals, a contest the Vikings completely dominated, to the tune of 48-10. And just like that game, Carson Wentz is poised to start under center in place of JJ McCarthy.

Except this time, the 2024 first round pick is healthy enough to suit up as Minnesota’s emergency QB3, behind both Wentz and 2025 UDFA out of Dinkytown, Max Brosmer.

Minnesota Vikings linebackers activated off injured reserve

Two other players who were not in uniform that day against the Bengals, who like JJ McCarthy, will be in uniform Sunday against the Eagles — linebackers Blake Cashman and Tyler Batty, who have both been on injured reserve for over a month. But not anymore, after the MN Vikings officially activated both Saturday afternoon.

The #Vikings have activated OLB Tyler Batty and LB Blake Cashman from IR. pic.twitter.com/a197rCUi6X

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 18, 2025

Sunday against Philly will be Tyler Batty’s NFL debut. After impressing at training camp, the 2025 undrafted free agent suffered a knee injury near final roster cuts that cost him the first five games of his NFL career. We’ll see how the Minnesota Vikings decide to deploy him against the Eagles.

Return of Blake Cashman will be felt immediately

The future for Blake Cashman, as long as he can stay healthy, is much more clear. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah targeted the former Minnesota Gopher two offseasons ago, with visions of #51 patrolling the middle of Brian Flores’ defense for the foreseeable future.

That decision paid itself off in full during Cashman’s first season, when he played 14 games, collected 112 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 11 QB hits, all career high marks, to go along with a 72.0 PFF grade.

Blake Cashman had 13 total tackles, including a sack and TFL against the 49ers. That's not even counting his three pass deflections, one of which led to an INT.

He was all over the field. He had an incredible game in his return home to Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/2Fhmfo6xT1

— Matt Fries (@FriesFootball) September 17, 2024

Unfortunately, he came in with past injury issues that have come back to light in year two, where he flew all over the field for less than one quarter of Minnesota’s opener in Chicago, grabbing 3 tackles before straining his hamstring and subsequently being placed on IR.

Let’s hope Blake’s immediate injury issues are behind him, because the MN Vikings defense is a completely different animal when the Eden Prairie native is on the field, especially given how out of place Ivan Pace has looked at times this season without him.