The Vikings Will Be Leaning on 5 New Starters This Week
Injuries have plagued the Minnesota Vikings through three weeks to the extent that five new starters, compared to the proposed starting lineup in early September, will take the field against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin.
Versus the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, the Minnesota Vikings will have five different starters from the projected lineup a few weeks ago.
Minnesota is expected to win by two or three points, and if so, would prevail with a skeleton crew.
These are the alternate starters who will see action as starters in Week 4.
5 Different Starters for Vikings in Dublin
Here’s who will start that wasn’t “supposed” to when the season began.
1. Blake Brandel | LG
Donovan Jackson is on the shelf with a bad wrist, unlikely to return until after the Week 6 bye.
That puts last year’s starting left guard, Blake Brandel, back in the saddle, and he’ll hope to rekindle his ways from the first part of last season when Brandel actually played quite well. Christian Darrisaw, to his left, will help. Brandel’s performance dipped in 2024 when Darrisaw tore his ACL.
2. Jordan Mason | RB
Aaron Jones cannot return until Week 8, and in the meantime, Mason will hold down the RB1 assignment. Truth be told, Mason might’ve already overtaken the job for Jones as-is.
The ex-San Francisco 49er is averaging 5.4 yards per carry, a continuation of his stellar performance behind Christian McCaffrey last season. The Steelers’ run defense is merely decent, so Mason should have no problems doing some damage on the ground in Ireland.
The Viking Age‘s Lior Lampert noted on Mason this week: “With the benefit of hindsight, Mason has been more of a necessity to the Vikings than the luxury many initially pegged him as. The dynamic but oft-injured Jones is already tending to a hamstring strain. Can you imagine what Minnesota’s offense would look like right now if they didn’t have the former?”
“Not to mention, McCarthy’s struggles before suffering a high-ankle sprain in their Week 2 loss to the Atlanta Falcons made Mason’s presence imperative. Moving the ball through the air hasn’t been as easy for the Vikings as we’ve become accustomed to seeing with O’Connell at the helm. They desperately needed a ground game to stay ahead of the sticks and complement their stout defense, which the latter has provided and then some.”
3. Dallas Turner | OLB
Andrew Van Ginkel is out with a bad neck, promoting Dallas Turner into the starting lineup, a place where he belongs because Turner’s development has taken the next step in 2025.
Turner didn’t play much, relatively speaking, as a rookie, just 28% of all defensive snaps, a low figure for a Round 1 EDGE rusher. Jonathan Greenard and Van Ginkel, two 2024 Pro Bowlers, were in his way.
Van Ginkel’s absence further paves the way for Turner’s ascension on the depth chart.
4. Carson Wentz | QB
J.J. McCarthy sprained his ankle, a high ankle sprain, and that will sideline him this weekend and probably next. Wentz filled in somewhat admirably last weekend when his Vikings bashed the Cincinnati Bengals by 38 points.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell has called upon Wentz to play “point guard” in his offense, and with Wentz’s hero ball days apparently over, Minnesota has a real game manager under center until McCarthy returns.
Daily Norseman‘s Jeanna Kelly on Wentz: “Should Wentz impress again, do the Vikings have a quarterback controversy on their hands? Thus far, Wentz has had the best quarterback performance of any week for the Vikings. And he’s got a good opportunity ahead of him this weekend against a Steelers defense that ranks 26th in passing yards allowed per game, 24th in opponent passer rating allowed, and 28th in third down defense.”
“If he has two straight quality games, the Vikings may have to continue riding the hot hand, while allowing McCarthy to get fully healthy and develop on the sidelines. However, head coach Kevin O’Connell committed to quarterback development this offseason when letting Sam Darnold walk in free agency, and not bringing in much competition for McCarthy, anointing him the starter.”
5. Eric Wilson | LB
Blake Cashman fell injured right away in the 2025 campaign, paving the way for Wilson to see action fresh off his reunion contract in the offseason.
And Wilson has shone.
Wilson has logged 17 tackles in 3 games, along with 2 forced fumbles, a tackle for loss, and a 62.6 Pro Football Focus grade. He’ll continue to see a starter’s playing time until at least Week 7, a game against the Philadelphia Eagles after the bye week, when Cashman is eligible to return.
Cashman, on the whole, is a better linebacker than Wilson, but Wilson has not disappointed as a replacement. Not one bit.
If something happened to Wilson or Ivan Pace Jr. in the next couple of weeks, two rookies would be in line at linebacker: Kobe King and Austin Keys.
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