Biggest Surprises from the Minnesota Vikings’ 53-Man Roster
On Tuesday, every NFL team trimmed their rosters down to the final 53-man iteration.
It resulted in a number of surprising moves that took place across the league, and the Vikings were no exception to that rule. Here is a look at a few of the biggest surprises from the Vikings’ 53-man roster.
Vikings 53-Man Roster Surprises
OLB Gabriel Murphy Gets Cut
Gabriel Murphy was a 2024 undrafted free agent, but his season got off to a rough start last year when he was placed on injured reserve. However, he would come back for the stretch run and get run in two games, playing 25 snaps on special teams.
Then, this summer, Murphy came back to training camp with a vengeance, and he was one of the biggest bright spots for Minnesota. The pass rusher totaled 1.5 sacks in preseason games and seemed like a lock to make the roster. Instead, the Vikings will hope to stash him on the practice squad.
OL Joe Huber Makes the Team as an UDFA
Another big surprise from the trenches came on the offensive line as the Vikings have decided to keep offensive lineman Joe Huber around as a 10th lineman for the team. Huber, a Wisconsin product, certainly held his own throughout camp and led Minnesota in snaps during the preseason.
Now, the Vikings have an extra name that they can rely on if an injury were to occur on the interior of their offensive line.
WR Tim Jones Sticks; WR Lucky Jackson Cut
The Vikings have since made a trade to bring back Adam Thielen, so we will see if this wide receiver room sticks, but for now, it appears that Tim Jones will make Minnesota’s Week 1 roster while once again Lucky Jackson found himself on the outside looking in.
Jackson put together a strong preseason for the Vikings, totaling five receptions for 49 yards over the course of the three games. He also was listed as Minnesota’s starting punt returner after Rondale Moore’s injury, further causing people to believe he would be around on the final roster.
Instead, it goes to Jones who can help out as a blocker and on special teams. He also had a strong preseason in his own right, catching six passes for 73 yards.
RB Ty Chandler Still Around
Against all odds, Ty Chandler is still on the Minnesota Vikings’ roster heading into Week 1. Many expected him to be the odd man out in Minnesota’s running back room after Zavier Scott’s emergence throughout preseason.
Instead, the Vikings opted to keep all four of Chandler, Scott, Aaron Jones, and Jordan Mason. They were able to do so after it was announced that C.J. Ham would be heading to injured reserve, meaning he will miss at least the first four games of the season.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Focus and The Football Database.
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