The Vikings Logged 4 Roster Transactions This Week
Each week, the Minnesota Vikings pull off at least one roster move, and entering December, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah executed four, highlighted by Adam Thielen’s exit stage left.
The Minnesota Vikings logged four roster transactions this week, headlined by Adam Thielen’s waiver, creating notable depth shifts ahead of the matchup.
Minnesota will host the Washington Commanders this weekend, the latest chapter in hoping to field some decent quarterback production.
4 Roster Changes the Vikings Rolled Out This Week
Typical roster maintenance for the purple team.
Adam Thielen Out
Thielen is no longer a Minnesota Viking. For the second time, he has decided to skedaddle, this time asking for his release due to a lack of playing time. Thielen hit waivers, hoping to sign with a team that would give him targets in the passing game.
That is the Pittsburgh Steelers.
His longtime pal, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, appears to have pulled some front office strings — that’s what he does — and Thielen will end his magnificent career as a Steeler.
Thielen said this week upon arriving in Pittsburgh, “Learning an NFL playbook in a few days, it’s comparable to learning a new language. But it’s stuff I love to do. I love the game of football. I love learning new systems and trying to get the verbiage down and all the little details.”
“Aaron Rodgers has been playing a long time, so a lot of different things that he does at the line of scrimmage and just trying to get a grasp for the foundation first and then learn all the intricacies after that. And take it one day at a time. It’s similar stuff that I’ve done, but different verbiage. Not the same terminology that I’ve ever been a part of, but similar stuff.”
WR Joaquin Davis In
An undrafted rookie wideout, Davis is now a member of the Vikings.
The 6’4″ 195-pounder initially signed with the Denver Broncos after the 2025 NFL Draft but failed to accrue any long-term staying power. He played in the preseason for the Broncos and spent his college days at North Carolina Central.
Our Janik Eckardt on Davis: “He’s an intriguing player who turned some heads in training camp with the Broncos this year. Going undrafted out of North Carolina Central, Davis stands 6’4″ and 195 pounds. The tall wideout brings 4.36 speed to the table.”
“Those rare physical tools automatically make him an intriguing prospect. He went undrafted despite those tools, which should tell everyone that he is, indeed, a raw player. The jump from an HBCU school to the NFL is significant. Then, the Broncos cut him in August. Still, Davis was a standout in training camp.”
Davis scored 12 touchdowns in four seasons at North Carolina Central.
“Every year, on every team, there’s some random undrafted rookie that’s standing out in July and August and yet still fails to make the team. For Denver, Davis was that guy. In the preseason, he caught a couple of passes for 25 yards. It’s certainly unlikely that he’d be some hidden gem, but crazier things have happened in the NFL, and a player with that kind of speed and size will always be an intriguing player,” Eckard added.
“Even without Thielen in the mix, the Vikings still feature the top trio of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and Jalen Nailor. Tai Felton and Myles Price have almost exclusively been used on special teams, but they might get a ball or two thrown their way in the last five games of the season.”
Davis will live on the practice squad for the next five weeks and hopes to earn a futures contract in January.
Desmond Ridder Out
After two separate stints in Minnesota this season to cover J.J. McCarthy’s injuries, Desmond Ridder hits free agency again.
He was the emergency quarterback last weekend in Seattle, and honestly, the Vikings may have played better if he had started. Max Brosmer was that bad. Why is Ridder gone now? Simple math. NFL teams don’t keep four quarterbacks. With McCarthy back, and Brosmer plus John Wolford already on the roster, there’s no room.
McCarthy suffered a concussion at Green Bay in Week 12, missed a week, and Brosmer got the nod at Seattle in Week 13, where he immediately crashed. The group isn’t efficient, but it’s McCarthy, Brosmer, and Wolford in — Ridder out.
And here’s an irony: if McCarthy gets banged up again, Minnesota would likely bring Ridder back for a third visit. That’s the reality of roster churn.
McCarthy has a splotchy durability history at 22, missing 23 of his first 28 eligible starts. Without Ridder, Brosmer and Wolford serve as backups, and given McCarthy’s injury track record, there’s a reasonable chance one of them sees the field in the next five weeks.
RB Ty Chandler Back
Remember Ty Chandler? A Vikings hero down the stretch of the 2023 season? He’s back.
Chandler injured his knee in Week 1, and most fans basically forgot about him, as the club has Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, and Zavier Scott at tailback. Until recently, Minnesota also employed Cam Akers and Corey Kiner.
But Chandler is back, and while he may not command many rushing attempts — Minnesota doesn’t really run the football in the first place — he can be an option in the special teams return game.
Chandler is a speedster (4.38) and has five games left on his contract before 2026 free agency arrives.
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