The Big Things Brewing at Vikings Training Camp
Sportsbooks believe the Minnesota Vikings will win about eight or nine games this season, a steep drop-off from a 14-3 record in 2024.
Big things are perculating at Vikings training camp as key players emerge, surprises unfold, and the roster begins to take shape for the 2025 campaign. Here’s the skinny.
So, to smash that forecast, the purple team is formulating a regular season roster at training camp, which will wind down next week, with the preseason kicking off on Saturday, August 9th.
And at training camp, these are the top developments to date, ranked from least important to most important at No. 1.
The Top Developments at Vikings Training Camp
Training camp has not disappointed for the Vikings.
4. Justin Jefferson a Nonfactor with Hamstring Tweak
While it’s not necessarily cause for alarm, Justin Jefferson will not factor into Vikings training camp. He’s likely on the shelf for the rest of the way with an injured hamstring, and he wouldn’t have played in the preseason anyway, because, well, Jefferson never plays in the preseason.
Yet, it is notable that the team’s best player is basically done for the summer. He had a couple of days’ worth of training camp and will now wait for his hamstring to heal. Head coach Kevin O’Connell said this week he had “zero worry” about Jefferson’s Week 1 readiness.
3. Very Little Suspense about Cornerback Pecking Order
Shortly after free agency and continuing after the NFL Draft, fans wondered what the Vikings’ cornerback room might look like in 2025. Why? Well, Pro Bowler Byron Murphy Jr. is the only “sure thing” at that spot on the roster.
So when training camp kicked off, fans watched the CB pecking order rather intently. With little mystery, Minnesota revealed Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, and Jeff Okudah as the primary starters, positioning players like Mekhi Blackmon, Dwight McGlothern, and Ambry Thomas to duke it out after for CB4-CB6.
As of early August, Murphy Jr., Rodgers, and Okudah are trending to earn most CB snaps. There isn’t much suspense anymore.
Kevin O’Connell said about Isaiah Rodgers, a newcomer, this summer, “Isaiah was a guy that Flo really identified pretty early. And historically, I haven’t been doing this long with Flo, but when Flo kinda has that tone in his voice about guys — I’m not gonna mention the other ones that he has had that in his voice about — but he’s been pretty darn accurate.”
“And that guy, whether playing for us or somebody else, has immediately shown up. So no pressure on Isaiah, but he definitely got that evaluation from Flo.”
2. Christian Darrisaw and Will Fries Trending Positively
Around the time onlookers wondered about the cornerback situation, the return dates for Christian Darrisaw and Will Fries remained uncertain. Would they be ready for Week 1 after season-ending injuries in 2024 — or would their absences draw out into the regular season?
Well, both are back. In the flesh at training camp. Practicing even.
The club will issue a formal Week 1 verdict on Darrisaw and Fries later this month or in early September, but both players are in a wonderful spot to be available at Chicago on September 8th.
1. The Defense Is Unstoppable
Good lord. The Vikings’ defense is a total hellfire group through almost two weeks of training camp, pestering the offense to the utmost and making some fans question whether the defense is just unstoppable — or if the offense has warts.
Even the most optimistic purple fans — homers, to the layperson — didn’t expect the defense to look this sharp right away at training camp, but here we are.
The group ranked second in the NFL per EPA/Play last year, so to an extent, a promising camp showing isn’t all that surprising. But it’s telling how dazzling Brian Flores’ group looks in late July and early August.
Defense may be the team’s calling card, much like last year.
CBS Sports‘ Cody Benjamin wrote about Minnesota’s defense at camp this week, “The pads were on and the sun was blazing Monday as the Minnesota Vikings kicked off a new week of 2025 training camp. Fans flocked by the thousands into TCO Performance Center to catch a first look at the team in full gear and full speed.”
“But what they saw in the heat of the summer, with the season barely a month away, may have been a bit unexpected. New quarterback J.J. McCarthy, see, was far from the star of the show. His No. 9 still housed a bouncy step and bubbly smile, but the energy didn’t translate to any meaningful offensive momentum, especially in team drills.”
It makes sense that the group looks fantastic; Flores enters Year No. 3 as the defensive boss and is hitting his groove.
Benjamina continued, “No, Monday belonged squarely to the defense, which safety and captain Josh Metellus proudly declared a ‘swarming’ force while speaking with CBS Sports. Was the defensive takeover simply a product of star wide receiver Justin Jefferson taking the day off while nursing hamstring tightness?”
“Or, worse yet, cause for legitimate concern regarding McCarthy’s readiness under center? The truth is almost assuredly more complicated … and hopeful.”
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