Now at 5-8, the Vikings would need a miracle to turn this season into anything meaningful. And for fans hoping to celebrate by checking in on former Vikings around the league, Sunday didn’t offer much good news, as several familiar faces suffered major setbacks.

Daniel Jones Looks to be Done with the Indianapolis Colts

For reasons known only to the Colts, Indianapolis continued allowing Daniel Jones to play through a fractured fibula. He had parlayed his time in Minnesota into a strong season, but everything came crashing down on Sunday.

Here’s the play on which Daniel Jones was hurt: pic.twitter.com/RLJkYCAn4b

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 7, 2025

One of the dangers of playing through an injury is how the body compensates. Jones was already dealing with a fractured fibula, and on Sunday he appeared to suffer a torn achilles in the opposite leg. That was confirmed on Monday and he will undergo season-ending surgery.

It’s an incredibly unfortunate development considering how well he had been playing. Before exiting early on Sunday, Jones had led the Colts to an 8-4 record, completing 67.9% of his passes with a 19/7 TD/INT ratio.

With what is likely a year-long recovery ahead, Jones has almost certainly missed out on a multi-year contract and may even have cost himself the franchise tag. It’s a brutal outcome for both the quarterback and the Colts.

Adam Thielen Does Nothing in Steelers Debut

After being a healthy scratch for the Minnesota Vikings, Adam Thielen sought a fresh start to finish his career. The Pittsburgh Steelers claimed him, giving future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers another weapon. Despite being active just days after joining the team, Thielen was barely involved.

2018 Pro Bowler Adam Thielen with the grab for the Steelers pic.twitter.com/7XDqQNwJ2U

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) December 7, 2025

His usage didn’t change much from his final days in Minnesota. Thielen saw just one target from Rodgers, hauling in a four-yard reception in his Steelers debut.

Meanwhile, Minnesota’s third wide receiver, Jalen Nailor, the player originally expected to fill Thielen’s role, caught all three of his targets for 30 yards on Sunday.

Cousins Embarrassed by Darnold

Last weekend, the Vikings faced former quarterback Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks but fell short as Max Brosmer struggled. This week, Darnold faced another former Viking, Kirk Cousins, and things went even worse for the Atlanta Falcons starter.

Kirk Cousins gets picked off.

Nick Emmanwori was credited with his first career interception, Falcons gonna lose another game 💀 pic.twitter.com/Jd3aDKvCT0

— SM Highlights (@SMHighlights1) December 7, 2025

Filling in for the injured Michael Penix Jr., Cousings was expected to resemble the steady veteran who signed yet another massive contract. Instead, he was abysmal. Cousins completed just 15 of 30 passes for 162 yards, threw two interceptions, and posted an 18.4 passer rating.

Darnold, meanwhile, continues his resurgence with Seattle. Revitalized under Kevin O’Connell before departing last offseason, Darnold went 20 for 30 for 249 yards and three touchdowns. His lone interception proved meaningless in a 37-9 blowout.

Cousins has long been known for cashing checks while delivering minimal impact in the win column, and Sunday only cemented that narrative. The Falcons will have a potential out in his contract this offseason, and it’s safe to say the Vikings won’t be lining up to give him another payday.

Minnesota traded for Thielen as depth just before the regular season began. He was a healthy scratch against the Seattle Seahawks, and with the Vikings sitting at 4-8, the team let him walk to find a potential contender. His landing spot is an interesting one.

Pittsburgh Steelers grab Adam Thielen

Adam Thielen left the Minnesota Vikings two years ago to sign with the Carolina Panthers. When he returned to Minnesota this season, he believed the team had a real chance to win. Eleven games later, it became clear that wasn’t the case, and now will be catching passes from Aaron Rodgers instead.

Two-time Pro Bowl WR Adam Thielen was claimed off waivers by the Steelers, per source.

Thielen, 35, wanted one more shot at a Super Bowl in his final season and now lands with longtime NFC North rival Aaron Rodgers in Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/if1NOr2XGS

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 2, 2025

In 11 games with Minnesota, Thielen caught just eight passes for 69 yards. Despite making four starts, he was barely involved in the game plan and never appeared to be more than an afterthought in the offense.

Thielen also confirmed what many assumed: this will be the final season of his career. Ultimately he is expected to return to Minnesota and enter the Ring of Honor, but for now he is chasing a championship in his last few games.

It has been a mixed year for Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. The 42-year-old quarterback holds a 6-5 record through 11 games with a 19/7 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Pittsburgh is 6-6 overall, and Rodgers is battling with multiple fractures in his left wrist.

Last weekend, Rodgers faced the Buffalo Bills, completing just 10-of-21 passes for 117 yards in a loss. The Steelers hope he can finish out the year, and Thielen gives him another reliable target over the middle.

Desmond Ridder released by MN Vikings

Thielen wasn’t the only roster move the Minnesota made this week. The Vikings signed veteran quarterback Desmond Ridder ahead of last week’s game, but with J.J. McCarthy trending toward a return, Ridder was quickly deemed unnecessary.

The #Vikings have released QB Desmond Ridder from the practice squad.

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 2, 2025

Ridder has spent multiple short stints with Minnesota but has never been elevated to the active roster. With McCarthy close to healthy, he will be backed up by Max Brosmer, who made his first NFL start on Sunday and threw four interceptions.

Minnesota now hopes McCarthy can handle the starting role the rest of the way. That will require both development and improved health from the former first-round pic.

Now out of playoff contention, this is an organization that has all sorts of difficult questions that need answered over the next few months. A failure of such epic proportions requires a deeper dive into what exactly went so wrong, as to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

As the Vikings attempt to lift themselves off the mat for 2026, and somehow regain their balance from the knockout haymaker that was the 2025 NFL season, it is crucial those at the very top weed out any rotten aspects of Minnesota’s internal process.

That includes players, coaches, scouts, ball boys or even the GM, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, if that’s what their investigation into the 2025 failure concludes.

Adam Thielen released by Minnesota Vikings

But one person who won’t be around for the aforementioned offseason process is the beloved Adam Thielen, who the MN Vikings waived on Monday, just before noon. Adam’s release, according to a statement put out by Kwesi, was a move that the Mankato State alum requested.

Of all the statements (both written and verbal) that the Vikings general manager has ever made, this was by far the most blunt and forthcoming. Per the GM, Thielen’s plan is to join a team where he will play a bigger role on offense for the remainder of the season, before he plans to retire.

Obviously, Adofo-Mensah wanted to make it VERY clear to the fanbase that releasing their local hero was not a team-driven decision. Adam Thielen wanted out.

The #Vikings have waived WR Adam Thielen. pic.twitter.com/ahAft1Wxv6

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) December 1, 2025

STATEMENT FROM GENERAL MANAGER KWESI ADOFO-MENSAH

Last week Adam’s representation approached the team and asked if we would be willing to release Adam, expressing his desire to play a bigger role in the remaining weeks of what he has indicated will be his final NFL season. Following discussions through the weekend and out of respect for Adam, we have agreed to give him the opportunity to pursue more playing time elsewhere. Adam is one of the all-time great Vikings, and we wish him and his family continued success.

Statement from Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on release of Adam Thielen (Tweet Above)

In the end, the kid out of Detroit Lakes, MN — who dominated division II for Mankato State before living out every suburban MN kid’s dream to star for the Vikings — caught just 8 passes for 69 yards and 0 touchdowns, in his return home.

Adam Thielen trade was a massive mistake for MN Vikings

The worst part of Adam’s departure isn’t losing the presence of a hometown hero. Let’s call a spade, a spade, in that department. Thielen is shell of what he once was, as an NFL wide receiver, which is why he’s leaving.

But go back just a few months, to the time of the trade between Minnesota and Carolina, that landed the homegrown talent back in purple. It’s unfathomable that the Vikings dished out a TWO future mid-round draft upgrades to land a wide receiver who couldn’t even find the field, after week three.

Terms of the trade now final …

The Panthers turned their seventh-rounder this year into a fifth-rounder, and their fifth-rounder in 2027 into a fourth-rounder in the trade (All picks are the teams' slotted picks).

Thielen had 8 catches for 69 yards this year for the Vikings. https://t.co/FbKgHn3s42

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) December 1, 2025

Related: Vikings Tried Paying Sam Darnold

Now that Thielen is about to become available, the Carolina Panthers may one of the teams that shows interest in the 35-year-old 2x Pro Bowler, according to their head coach Dave Canales. We’ll see if any other teams pop up.

Everybody (except the Panthers) looks bad in this deal

This isn’t the best look for Adam Thielen, who came here saying there is no place he’d rather be and how this was the final stop of his career. At the same time, he probably didn’t expect to only have 18 targets through 13 weeks of the season.

That’s probably on him, however, as one peek at the 2025 depth chart back during training camp would have told Mr. Thielen and his representation that playing time back home could be hard to come by, after Jordan Addison’s three-week suspension.

Common sense would have said that — between Jefferson, Addison, Nailor, Hockenson, a more robust running came and a young, unproven quarterback under center, that the odds of making a major impact for the Vikings were probably slim.

Of course, the Minnesota Vikings were laza fare regarding a lot of those questions, entering the season, a cockiness we probably won’t see between now and the start of 2026.

The Vikings come into the game at 4-7, while the Seahawks sit at 8-3, yet the matchup still carries plenty of intrigue. Then Kevin O’Connell released his inactives list, and Adam Thielen’s name unexpectedly jumped into the spotlight.

Minnesota Vikings Make Adam Thielen a Healthy Scratch

Entering the season, Justin Jefferson was injured during training camp, and Jalen Nailor was at risk of missing Week 1. Thielen wanted to return home, and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah found a way to make it happen. Less than a full season later, he’s no longer viewed as a viable starting option.

Two veterans who are healthy scratches today: #Steelers CB Darius Slay and #Vikings WR Adam Thielen.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) November 30, 2025

When Minnesota began pursuring a trade for Thielen, the Carolina Panthers were hesitant. Bryce Young needed competent wide receivers, and the veteran was considered an important piece of that group.

Despite being injured last season and appearing in just 10 games, Thielen still managed 615 yards and five touchdowns. Minnesota traded for him anyway, expecting him to contribute as a depth receiver while Jordan Addison served a three game suspension.

Now 11 games into the season, Thielen has just 69 yards on eight receptions and has yet to score a touchdown. Last week, in an embarrassing loss to the Green Bay Packers, he also recorded an ugly drop.

Since Jordan Addison returned from suspension, here are Adam Thielen's game-by-game snap counts. WR has been arguably the Vikings' healthiest position.

Week 4: 13
Week 5: 13
Week 6: Bye
Week 7: 8
Week 8: 12
Week 9: 4
Week 10: 9
Week 11: 8
Week 12: 3
Week 13: inactive

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) November 30, 2025

Thielen has been virtually unused by Minnesota, making it clear the move was driven more by sentiment than strategy. He hasn’t contributed on the field, and the Vikings appear ready to stop pretending he will. Adofo-Mensah also sent a 2026 fifth-round pick and a 2027 fourth-round pick to acquire him.

A Likely Final Chapter

This season seemingly marks the final chapter of Thielen’s career. Over 173 games, he carved out a remarkable path after going undrafted out of Division II Minnesota State-Mankato. There’s no doubt he’ll one day be inducted into the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor.

More than anything else in week 11, we need to see Minnesota Vikings quarterback JJ McCarthy take a step forward in his development as the future face of this franchise.

With Jonathan Greenard ruled OUT on the other side of the football, it’ll be up to those around him on the Vikings defense to hold help corral Caleb Williams often enough for Minnesota’s offense to figure out a Chicago defense that has been putrid most of the season.

MN Vikings WR wants fanboy NFL refs replaced by full-timers

One teammate hoping to help his young QB out on Sunday is recently reacquired veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen. But that’s not the only area of this weekend’s football game where the 35-year-old Thielen wants to see improvement.

In fact, he isn’t just looking for improvement from his team or the opposing Bears. On Friday during an interview with KFAN Radio’s Power Trip Morning Show, Thielen revealed to hosts Cory Cove, Meatsauce and Chris Hawkey that the league’s biggest referee issue right now is a lack of professionalism.

See, the NFL still has part times refs; guys and gals who referee NFL games on weekends, between grinding out normal five-day workweeks at their full-time job.

In fact, Thielen referred to today’s standard NFL ref as a “fanboy” who uses their super cool part time job as a way to brag to co-workers during the week at their real job.

"We have these guys that are kind of fanboys a little bit."

Vikings WR Adam Thielen told the @PowerTripKFAN this morning that he thinks the NFL should have full time referees.@iHeartRadio #iHeartRadio pic.twitter.com/4PXUgZaoHw

— KFAN1003 (@KFAN1003) November 14, 2025

“I think we need to have full-time referees. I think it’s ridiculous that we have — and no offense to these guys, they obviously love their job and they put a lot of time into it, I know they do — but we have these [referees] who are kind of fanboys, a little bit.

They love the fact that they get to go out there and they get to shake hands with Patrick Mahomes. They get to hang out with these professional athletes. Then they go to their real job on Monday through Friday and tell everybody how cool their side job is.

I think there should be full-time referees. I mean, the NFL has billions and billions of dollars. There’s so much money in the game, there’s so much betting on the game, that these games matter so much.

Obviously, not just the people who are gambling, but what about the people who put in so much time and effort to try and go performa well and win games. All the time the coaches put in. They deserve to have full-time referees. That’s my take on it and I think it’s very easy to do and I don’t know why it hasn’t been done.”

Adam Thielen – Power Trip Morning Show – KFAN Radio

Related: MN Vikings Superstar Calls on Year 3 Jets to Return

Thielen’s comments on the Power Trip Friday came at an interesting time. Last Sunday, against the Baltimore Ravens, Adam threw an all-time Thielen tantrum, which is saying something since he has had some legendary on-field outbursts in the past.

Context to Adam Thielen’s comments on KFAN Radio

The Detroit Lakes native and Minnesota State – Mankato alum lost his mind after he was called for an illegal blindside block that cost the Vikings one of only a few productive offensive plays in the game.

Theilen seemed even more frustrated after the game, following a meetup he had with some fanboy refs postgame who expressed confusion over whether or not they made the right call against him on the field.

Adam Thielen and the Vikings are pissed! This was called a personal foul for a blindside block… pic.twitter.com/M1SnIpkOxK

— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) November 9, 2025

Late in the 2025 preseason, after Jalen Nailor went down with a preseason wrist injury and Jordan Addison was suspended, the Minnesota Vikings were staring at life for three weeks without a respectable outside option for JJ McCarthy.

Looking back now, it sure feels like the Vikings panicked in the moment, especially once Nailor returned sooner than expected. In order to pry Adam out of Carolina, Minnesota had to give up multiple mid-round draft picks — a a 2027 4th and 2026 5th.

Related: JJ McCarthy Shows Up to Vikings Practice with New Ailment

Fast forward ten weeks later, where Justin Jefferson, Addison and Nailor are all healthy and cemented above Theilen on the Vikings depth chart, and it seems likely that 2025 will finish as the least productive in Adam’s career since 2015, when he was still just a special teams player.

Through nine games, the results have not been what Adam Thielen or the MN Vikings expected. Thielen has caught just 7 passes on 15 targets for a total of 63 yards and 0 touchdowns, which is not up to snuff for a guy who was so expensive to bring back.

It was the most undisciplined games Kevin O’Connell’s crew has played this season, which is saying something. For starters, the Vikings committed a total of 13 penalties worth a total of 102 yards, seven of which were false-start penalties.

Kid quarterback JJ McCarthy threw two interceptions and they turned the ball over three times, total. But the offensive play-calling might’ve been the most undisciplined part of yesterday’s loss.

The MN Vikings averaged 6.7 yards per carry vs Baltimore, gashing the Ravens defense just about every time they handed the ball off to Aaron Jones or Jordan Mason.

Tough day for Minnesota Vikings wide receivers

Meanwhile, when JJ McCarthy wasn’t throwing the ball to the other team in purple, he was throwing it into the dirt or (sometimes) into the stands. In the end, his inefficiency led to a < 50% completion rate, as he dropped back and winged it a career-high 42 times (20 completions).

Then, there’s Justin Jefferson, who looked disengaged and frustrated for most of the afternoon. Of course, he was nowhere near as frustrated as Adam Thielen, whose latest sideline meltdown has to fall in the top 5 on a career fully charged with emotional moments at U.S. Bank Stadium.

Adam Thielen is upset after that penalty

📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/e295ZSpPti

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) November 9, 2025

What in the world could cause our darling Adam to lose his cool (again) against the Ravens? It came after he was called for a blindside block during the fourth quarter, as the Vikings were trying to come back from a 19-10 deficit.

A closer look at Adam Thielen’s “blindside block”

According to the NFL rulebook, offensive players who are moving parallel or back toward the line of scrimmage are not allowed to block a defensive player with force, which is a key part of the conversation.

The rule was made to rid the league of Hines Ward-style blindside blocks that used to leave safeties and cornerbacks wondering what reality they originated from.

Of course, Theilen’s was not that, but he certainly did square up and launch slightly into an unexpecting Kyle Hamilton, which resulted in him being completely laid out.

Adam Thielen and the Vikings are pissed! This was called a personal foul for a blindside block… pic.twitter.com/M1SnIpkOxK

— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) November 9, 2025

Related: Asante Samuel Jr Visit is Not What You Think…

There’s no doubt, as you can see in the video above, that Adam Thielen was indeed parallel with the line of scrimmage and blocking an unexpected defender. But was he protecting himself or was it a dirty block?

Postgame, Adam was still frustrated, noting that the Minnesota Vikings offense had practice that play all week, to make sure that he would not be called for a blindside block.

Refs admit to MN Vikings, Adam Thielen they aren’t sure either

More importantly, Thielen told Andrew Krammer (Star Tribune) in the Vikings locker room that the refs approached him after the game and told the 12-year veteran that they needed to go back, review the play, and get proper instruction from the league on whether or not they made the correct call.

“Obviously, [Adam Thielen] still was pretty heated after the game. And he had just mentioned that, look, we coached it. We actually got the exact look from the Ravens we were anticipating. If Kyle Hamilton was within one yard of the line of scrimmage, I knew I could stand there and wall him off.

He said, but it wasn’t as vicious as it looked on camera where it does kind of look like his head kind of contacts Kyle’s head. He said, ‘I have to defend myself. I can’t just stand there and get runover’… I think he used the word destroyed. ‘I can’t sit there and just get destroyed.’

So the refs told him, ‘You were too aggressive and you needed to just wall him off and not give any little bit of a shot at him. Yet the officials came up to him [after the game] and said, ‘We need to go check with the league about officiating that call. We need to just clarify this specific play, what you did, and make sure we were right on it.’

It sounded like even after the game, officials were still not sure.

Andrew Krammer – Access Vikings Podcast (Star Tribune)

While I appreciate the referees being open and honest about what they know and do not know… I feel like this was a pretty important call to throw a flag on, if you weren’t 100% sure on the rule. My guess, that’s very much how Adam Thielen is feeling too.”

After the idea of an Adam Thielen reunion was kicked around for weeks, it finally came to fruition. The Vikings were bringing home their native son that had worked his way to prominence after being an undrafted afterthought from a Division II program.

Unfortunately, and there’s no kind way to put this, a trade that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made with his heart has been nothing short of a flop.

Adam Thielen a bust for Minnesota Vikings

The Minnesota Vikings brought Adam Thielen back in a trade with the Carolina Panthers. Carolina didn’t need to move the veteran, and it took a fourth round pick going to Carolina. Thielen restructured his deal after returning home, but that doesn’t soften the blow that his production, or lack thereof, has represented.

Vikings fans were excited about their reunion with Thielen before the season, but the 35-year-old wideout has been a nonfactor. Expected to make an impact while Jordan Addison was suspended, Thielen had two donuts across the first three games of the season, and he has just 47 receiving yards through six games, an underwhelming return for a player who cost the team a future fourth-round pick as part of a late-August trade.

Bill Barnwell – ESPN

It’s hard to poke holes in the reality that Bill Barnwell is seeing. Despite playing in all six games for the Vikings this season, Thielen has made just three starts. He has 10 targets and five receptions for 47 yards. To say his presence has been negligible would be putting it lightly.

Despite an injury that cost him seven games with the Panthers last season, Thielen posted 48 receptions and 615 yards with the Panthers. He scored five touchdowns and was still an integral part of an offense that helped to revive Bryce Young’s career.

It’s not a reach to suggest that the Vikings offense is substantially better than that of the Panthers. That also makes it more difficult for Thielen to contribute. However, the reality is that he looks like a cooked version of his former self, and the 35-year-old may need to hang them up after the season.

There’s no reason for the Vikings to offer the Detroit Lakes native another contract. He can retire and waltz in the Ring of Honor. That would be a great full-circle moment, but will require Thielen to accept that reality. It’s possible he sees the writing on the wall, but no matter what happens the rest of the way, this is where things stand.

Those plans have been somewhat thwarted by injury, but at 3-2, they are still right in the thick of things. Early on the largest question marks came in the form of availability for both Christian Darrisaw and Harrison Smith.

The left tackle has largely thwarted those at this point, but they continue to swirl for the legendary saftey.

Harrison Smith status still murky for Minnesota Vikings

At 36 years old Harrison Smith is no spring chicken. He is a 14-year veteran and has played three of the Vikings six games this season. What’s notable is that despite never having played less than 90% of defensive snaps in a season, he is at 38% this year. Brian Flores was asked about that reality.

Vikings DC Brian Flores gave no indication today that S Harrison Smith will be returning to a full-time role Sunday. Here are his answers to two questions about Smith: https://t.co/9Z43JiNXSr pic.twitter.com/fUOGDnXDGL

— Kevin Seifert (@SeifertESPN) October 14, 2025

With the bye week behind him, this will be the week to watch what Smith’s snap count looks like. It’s one thing for the Vikings to suggest they still are deploying the six-time Pro Bowl selection in an intended capacity. It’s entirely different for the usage to be this limited with murky details in the first place.

Harrison Smith missed the majority of training camp with a personal illness. No one has ever reported specifically what he is or was dealing with, and he has not publicly commented on it either. With no benefit of doubt, this has turned into an aging player being filtered out.

If Smith is going to contribute something this season, then his usage must be more than sporadic. Of course Josh Metellus and Theo Jackson are the intended future, but there was little reason to bring back Smith if this was the role he was going to play.

Adam Thielen on the Harrison Smith plan for Vikings

Harrison Smith isn’t the only Vikings legend that’s seeing things go downhill when it comes to usage. Of course Minnesota was all over trading for him as depth with Jordan Addison’s suspension. He has quickly turned into little more than a roster placeholder.

Thielen has been active for all five of Minnesota’s games, and he has started three of them. Despite that level of opportunity, he has just four receptions on eight targets for 37 yards. His snap count dropped to 69% with Carolina last year, and now in his 12th year, it’s just 46% for Minnesota.

Adam Thielen “Coming Home” remix pic.twitter.com/YjH1fJAJk3

— Thor Nystrom (@thorku) August 27, 2025

The tandem of Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison are the best duo in the league. Minnesota fully intends to keep them together. It’s a contract year for Jalen Nailor, and he has continued to see extended run with the Vikings (78% snap count). Thielen has been the one pushed out of the picture.

This certainly feels like Thielen’s swan song, and it would be fun if the Minnesota Vikings can do something fun with it. Either way, it’s been an incredible career for a guy who came with very few expectations.

Although Kirk Cousins will be holding the clipboard, his Atlanta Falcons come to town for a Sunday Night Football matchup in Week 2. Michael Penix Jr. gets another crack at besting McCarthy after losing to him in the National Championship the last time they squared off.

If Minnesota is going to emerge victorious, there are a few areas they must focus in on. Here are three keys for Sunday Night.

Who steps up in absence of MN Vikings starters?

Last week the Minnesota Vikings were without Harrison Smith and Christian Darrisaw. The former was expected, while the latter was something of a surprise. Darrisaw already being ruled out for Week 2 is relatively problematic.

Justin Skule stepped in at starting left tackle for Darrisaw. Only Adam Thielen produced a worse offensive grade per Pro Football Focus. Skule was 44th out of 64 tackles and gave up two sacks. He simply has to be better, and will be in there starting again.

Dallas Turner, defensive end?

Brian Flores got his top 3 edges on the field at the same time — putting Turner on the line (often hand down) with Van Ginkel outside or stacked behind as an OLB or off-ball LB

Turner was strong vs the run from this alignment, and got a pressure pic.twitter.com/MKQjYn1DE7

— Krauser (@Krauserrific) September 10, 2025

Smith being available would help the defense. Andrew Van Ginkel and Jeff Okudah are both out with concussions. That puts a serious amount of pressure on second-year edge rusher Dallas Turner to shine. Blake Cashman also hit injured reserve earlier this week and Eric Wilson will take over his role. Linebacker Gabriel Murphy will get a shot as well.

The #Vikings have elevated OLB Gabe Murphy and CB Fabian Moreau to the active roster for tomorrow night's game. pic.twitter.com/BX5gIIX812

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 13, 2025

There is an opportunity at cornerback, and in the front seven. Can Dwight McGlothern, or an elevated Fabian Moreau, be enough on the outside. Is this the game Turner shows off just how good he can be? Brian Flores needs the help, and multiple players have to provide it.

Containing Penix Jr. a point of emphasis

In Week 1 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was 27-of-42 for 298 yards and a touchdown. He also ran the ball six times for 21 yards and a touchdown. That offensive production took place without second wide receiving option Darnell Mooney.

This week Mooney will rejoin Drake London and give the Vikings two wideouts to cover. Running back Bijan Robinson led the receiving game with six receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown as well. Penix Jr. has plenty of weapons to challenge Minnesota’s defense, and he’s shifty as well.

Michael Penix Jr. has led a go-ahead/game-tying drive in 3/4 games as the starter 🔥

Dialed in when it matters most ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/FPljawxV8Q

— Not Bijan (@InBijanWeTrust) September 8, 2025

Minnesota got beat by Caleb Williams for 58 yards on six carries. Penix Jr. is probably even a more adept runner, and they can’t allow his ability to create an opportunity to open up the offense. Containing Penix Jr. in the pocket will give the secondary a better chance to hold on despite being down some talent.

Last season Penix Jr. made just a single road start in his five games. U.S. Bank Stadium will be the most hostile environment he has experienced, and the home field advantage can play into the hands of the Minnesota Vikings as well.

Will the wide receivers please step up

It was expected there would be some growing pains in the passing game. McCarthy had never previously started and NFL game, and the Vikings opted against a real dress rehearsal in the preseason. Both Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen registered drops while Aaron Jones tied for the team lead in receiving yards with 44.

J.J. McCarthy's 27-yard TD pass to Aaron Jones was Jones' 8th deep reception of his career, the most deep receptions by a running back since 2017.

Only Saquon Barkley (5) has more deep touchdowns than Jones (4) among RBs in that span.#MINvsCHI | #Skol pic.twitter.com/8qXRvfuUPj

— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) September 9, 2025

Last season the Falcons were middle-of-the-pack when it comes to receiving yards allowed. There’s an opportunity for Jefferson to make his first mark of the season, and Thielen can help to substantiate why he was brought back to Minnesota.

If McCarthy is going to thrive going forward, it will be because the sum of all parts around him work at a high clip. In Week 1 Jordan Mason and Jones created a nice two-headed monster on the ground. McCarthy threw for just 143 yards, and there weren’t a ton of explosive plays through the air. If Kevin O’Connell can find opportunities for shot plays, the wide receivers need to come through.

Related: Kevin O’Connell Wasted No Time Delivering Legendary Message

Should McCarthy have his first 200-yard passing game of his career on Sunday, it would seem likely that the Minnesota Vikings are in a good position to best the Atlanta Falcons.

Kickoff is set for 7:20 pm for Sunday Night Football. The return of Thielen to U.S. Bank Stadium, and the introduction of McCarthy to home fans, should be a sight to behold.

It has been obvious since the moment Sam Darnold signed with the Seattle Seahawks that this team was going to be quarterbacked by McCarthy. There has been an influx of new talent, but the team still has weaknesses, entering the season… at least on paper.

They still seem light at cornerback, even if those in the building disagree. Up until last week, they were extremely thin at wide receiver, too. Adam Thielen saved the day there, but nonetheless, Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings still had a few interesting developments for the team’s first official depth chart of the season.

Week 1 depth chart reveals new wrinkles for Minnesota Vikings

When the Minnesota Vikings cemented their initial 53-man roster, it included a boatload of undrafted free agents. They cut some veterans, and that meant young talent would have a pathway to playing time. Now seeing how they are positioned, there are definitely some notable names to key in on.

Despite being a late addition, it’s Wentz who will backup McCarthy ahead of everyone’s hero Max Brosmer. That could change as the year goes on, and will be a competition to watch. But it’s interesting that, after just one week on the roster, he’s already listed as QB2

It’s not necessarily shocking that Chandler would be the third running back behind the starting tandem. However, he was definitely outplayed in the preseason by Zavier Scott, and looked like a potential cut candidate for much of training camp. Also, the Vikings are clearly serious about Jones and Mason splitting carries near 50/50.

Adam Thielen just got back into town last week. He’s still ahead of Nailor on the depth chart, and that should continue once Jordan Addison returns from his suspension as well.

The usage of safeties by the Minnesota Vikings is a unique wrinkle to Brian Flores’ defense. Theo Jackson is going to see plenty of reps, but Metellus is listed as the starter, alongside Harrison Smith, who hasn’t practiced in nearly a month. Yet, there he is listed at the top of the depth chart for free safeties week one.

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Matt Daniels is rolling out an entirely new return team. Undrafted free agent Myles Price will handle punt return duties. He had 23 attempts for Indiana last season in college, and he averaged 12.6 yards per return.

The hope is that Tai Felton develops into a starting caliber wideout, but he’s behind Nailor in that regard at this point. He’ll handle kick return duties. That’s a role he hasn’t held since 2022 (as a sophomore) with Maryland. He turned six kicks into 150 yards (25 yards per attempt).