Familiar Faces Will Face Off with the Minnesota Vikings in Preseason Week 2
This Saturday, the Minnesota Vikings will take the field for their second preseason game of the summer when they face the New England Patriots.
Vikings fans will notice a number of familiar faces on this current Patriots roster, including star receiver Stefon Diggs who spent his first five NFL seasons in Minnesota. Of course, the veteran likely will not suit up for this weekend’s preseason game, nor will Jaquelin Roy who is on IR, but here is a look at a few of those familiar faces who could take the field on Saturday afternoon.
QB Josh Dobbs
Josh Dobbs gained national recognition during his short stint with the Minnesota Vikings. Dobbs, who filled in after Kirk Cousins tore his Achilles, burst onto the scene with a comeback win against the Atlanta Falcons and then another victory against the New Orleans Saints.
Of course, that lightning eventually fizzled out, and Dobbs was replaced by Nick Mullens in the starting lineup. Dobbs spent 2024 as a backup to Brock Purdy in San Francisco, and now, he is fighting for a QB2 role in New England behind Drake Maye.
DT Khyiris Tonga
A massive human being at 6’2″ and 335 pounds, Khyiris Tonga spent two seasons as a nose tackle for the Vikings in 2022 and 2023. During those seasons, he recorded 43 tackles, a pair of tackles for loss, and half a sack while playing 25 games and making four starts.
Tonga moved to the Arizona for 2024 where he filled a similar role, and now he is hoping to lock down the nose tackle role in New England this upcoming season.
OT Vederian Lowe
Vederian Lowe was selected in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Vikings, and he spent just one season in Minnesota before being traded to the Patriots prior to the 2023 season.
Related Story: Recapping the Vikings’ Disastrous 2022 Draft Class
Lowe has actually seen a good chunk of starting time since heading to New England as well. He made eight starts in 2023 and 13 in 2024. He was recently activated off the PUP list by the Patriots. It seems unlikely that he will win the left tackle job over first-round pick Will Campbell, but he seems set to at least be a second stringer on the roster.
C Garrett Bradbury
The Vikings have a new center for the first time since they selected Garrett Bradbury in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. Bradbury spent six seasons with the Vikings and started all 88 games he appeared in during that time.
Of course, Minnesota opted to release Bradbury this spring and instead picked up Ryan Kelly in free agency to take over the starting role. The veteran is now hoping to maintain a starting role after signing with the Patriots.
K John Parker Romo
After Will Reichard landed on injured reserve last season, John Parker Romo was the hero to step up as Minnesota’s kicker for four games. During that time, he made 11 of his 12 field goal attempts and hit seven of his eight extra points.
The Vikings then waived Romo, and the Patriots signed him to their practice squad days later and signed him to a futures contract following the conclusion of the season. As a result, the Patriots have a bit of a kicking battle on their hands after they also selected Andy Borregales in the sixth round of this spring’s draft.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
You must be logged in to post a comment.