3 Vikings Who Should Get More Looks Over the Final 4 Weeks of the Season
The Minnesota Vikings kept whatever was left of their slim playoff hopes alive this past weekend with a 31-0 win over the Washington Commanders.
However, Minnesota still finds itself well on the outside of the playoff picture, needing to win each of their final four games, hope for four straight losses from either the Chicago Bears or San Francisco 49ers along with multiple losses from other teams directly in front of them, and pray the tiebreakers work in their favor.
As a result, while Minnesota likely will not be playing for a chance at a Super Bowl this season, it may be smart to get the most that they can out of these remaining weeks of the year. One way to do that is by giving additional snaps to young players and see what they can do with an expanded role heading into 2026 when there likely will be major roster changes made.
Here is a look at three Vikings who should get more playing time over the final month of the season.
WR Tai Felton
Minnesota made a very surprising choice by selecting Tai Felton in the third round of this spring’s draft despite having Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor on the roster. That being said, rumors of trades had begun swirling around Addison last offseason, and Nailor will enter free agency in the spring of 2026.
Felton very well could have been an insurance policy in case one of those two did not return in 2026, but so far in his rookie season, Felton has not been given an opportunity to showcase what he can do on the field. He has played just 29 offensive snaps this season and has just two receptions for 19 yards.
The second of those receptions came in Week 14 against the Commanders, and Felton played 10 snaps during that game. Granted, it was a blowout win down the stretch, but perhaps this is the start of the rookie getting more reps on offense, particularly after a disappointing season from Addison.
RB Zavier Scott
Big changes could be coming to Minnesota’s backfield in 2026, particularly if the Vikings decide to part ways with the 31-year-old Aaron Jones.
The veteran running back has not gotten nearly as much usage as he has in previous years (totaling 10+ carries in just two of his nine games), and if the Vikings were to part ways with him this offseason through a release, they would save $7.2 million against the salary cap. Minnesota has some work to do to get back into the green in that department this offseason, so this move could help them make progress.
With that, Zavier Scott should be a player to see more snaps over the final few weeks of the year. The young running back spent two years as a practice squad player in the NFL before finally getting his first opportunity on the field this year. He’s made a very decent first impression in Minnesota, totaling 27 carries for 101 yards. The most impressive part of Scott’s game has been his receiving ability out of the backfield, and that should be something the Vikings explore using more often down the stretch.
S Jay Ward
For the second year in a row, the Vikings seem destined to lose a key name at the safety position. Camryn Bynum left last offseason to take a monster deal with the Indianapolis Colts, and this year, Harrison Smith is very likely going to retire after 14 years in the NFL.
The Vikings did very little to replace Bynum last offseason other than promoting Theo Jackson to the starting lineup, and we’ll see if Minnesota takes a similar path this time around with Jay Ward. Regardless, it’s still somewhat a mystery what Ward can bring to the Vikings defense.
During his time at LSU, Ward spent a lot of time as a nickel cornerback while also playing as a free safety. That could be helpful for the Vikings defense considering they have virtually no depth in the secondary at this point in time. Ward has been getting some extra playing time recently, recording double-digit snaps in each of the past two weeks with the defense. We’ll see if that continues and this is an audition for a larger role in 2026.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Focus helped with this article.
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