3 Vikings Who Need Strong Preseason Finales
The Minnesota Vikings will conclude their 2025 preseason schedule with a matchup against the Tennessee Titans on Friday night.
After that, the roster will swiftly cut down from 90 players to 53 on Tuesday, August 26. As a result, Friday night marks one final chance for a number of Vikings to prove that they belong on the 53-man roster. Here are three Vikings who need strong performances in that preseason finale.
QB Sam Howell
Sam Howell has struggled throughout much of training camp, and while he had a relatively good preseason opener against the Houston Texans, his showing against the Patriots left much to be desired last weekend.
Howell completed just one of his five pass attempts and threw up a horrific interception on New England’s side of the field. In total, he finished his day with just 13 passing yards and a passer rating of 0.0.
Given Max Brosmer’s steady performances throughout each of the first two preseason games and the rest of camp, Howell may need a big game not only to nail down the QB2 spot, but maybe even the QB3 position if the Vikings decide to look to free agency or the trade market for another veteran backup behind J.J. McCarthy.
RB Ty Chandler
Vikings fans have been waiting for Ty Chandler to prove that he can be the athletic difference maker out of the backfield for a couple years now. It simply hasn’t stuck to this point.
Chandler has totaled eight carries for just 17 yards through the first two preseason games, and for many, it has resulted in the belief that Zavier Scott will ultimately usurp him for the final RB spot on the roster.
Scott has been an explosive receiving back this summer, catching four passes for 55 yards while also totaling 17 carries for 68 yards. The Vikings may have something in the young Maine product, and Chandler will need to earn the roster spot.
CB Dwight McGlothern
There was a lot of hype for Dwight McGlothern heading into the summer after a promising training camp in 2024, and yours truly was a part of it.
However, it seems that things have gone rather quiet for the former UDFA standout, and currently, he is listed as a third-stringer on the depth chart. In other words, he is firmly on the roster bubble amidst other names like Zemaiah Vaughn, Reddy Stewart, and Ambry Thomas.
McGlothern likely still makes the team based on his year of experience in Brian Flores’ system, but it can’t be overlooked that he still only played 20 snaps on defense last season. The roster spot is not guaranteed at this point, and a strong showing on Friday night may be required to lock it down.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Focus and The Football Database.
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