What’s up Next for Vikings Football? Here You Go.
Before you know it, the Minnesota Vikings will be on a field in a meaningful capacity, whether playing a regular season game or preparing for that moment.
Indeed, mandatory minicamp isn’t far away, and training camp, preseason, roster cuts, and regular follow thereafter.
What’s up Next for Vikings Football? Here You Go.
So, here are dates to remember for the next 3.5 months.
Mandatory Minicamp
When: June 13-14
Where: Eagan, MN
This is the get-to-you-know leg-stretcher before a summer break and training camp six weeks later. The event is typically notable for who doesn’t show up, as some players hold out because of contractual squabbles.
Fans cannot attend, but media sources like this one will detail the event. Minicamp is basically the shots-fired moment for fans, announcing the NFL season is about three months away.
Training Camp
When: Late July
Where: Eagan, MN
This is when the fun-fun starts, as coaches and fans determine who’s really ‘got it’ among the new players or youngsters looking to claw their way up the depth chart. Camp battles ignite here, and fans can embark on Eagan to watch. It’s the grand old summer party that used to occur in Mankato but now transpires at Vikings headquarters in Eagan.
Affordable tickets are available, and you should prioritize attending for a day or two if you live locally. A disclaimer — it gets hot.
Preseason
When: 2nd Weekend in August
Where: Seattle, WA
The Vikings and Seahawks haven’t finalized this one yet, but the game should take place on August 12th or 13th at Lumen Field. Minnesota always travels to Seattle for something or another, but this time, it’s ‘just’ a preseason showdown.
The game will showcase the typical roster-bubble battles and unveil rookie QB3 Jaren Hall to the masses. That will be the number-one-with-a-bullet item to watch in Seahawks-Vikings — how does Hall look?
Roster Cuts
When: August 29th
Where: Eagan, MN (and leaguewide)
This one is wild and a first-of-its-kind event. In years past, roster cuts were mandated gradually. However, in 2023, the Vikings and 31 other NFL teams will trim rosters from 90 players to 53 — in one day. About 1,200 players will be out of a job, at least temporarily, as some will rejoin the team that just released them on the practice squad.
But the glaring takeaway about 2023 that is different from 2021 or 2022 — all roster cuts are due August 29th. A team need not trim to 80 or 75 players first.
The Regular Season
When: September 10th
Where: U.S. Bank Stadium
And the big kahuna on this list — the start of the 2023 regular season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers begin life-after-Tom-Brady against the Vikings in Minneapolis. Either Baker Mayfield or Kyle Trask — probably Mayfield — will be the quarterback.
Minnesota is considered a seven-point favorite right now, but don’t get it twisted. There’s a temptation to believe ‘the Bucs stink’ because Brady isn’t the QB1, but Tampa Bay is really just the same team on paper sans Brady. They’re not as awful as folks’ power rankings suggest.
This game is 111 days away.
Jordan Addison Has New Clothes
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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