3 Biggest Questions Vikings Must Answer After Busy Cutdown Week

After a busy week of cuts and signings, the Vikings roster is mostly complete. The Vikings addressed the concerns at center by bringing in two more interior linemen, and finalized a solid practice squad that includes receiver Dillon Bell and quarterback Max Brosmer.

But while some questions were answered in the chaotic past few days, many more are still lingering less than two weeks out from the season opener against Green Bay. So, what do the Vikings still need to figure out before taking the field in Week 1?

1. What in the world is going on with J.J. McCarthy?

The situation with quarterback J.J. McCarthy is as clear as mud at the moment, and Vikings GM Nolan Teasley did little to make the picture any clearer with his comments on Wednesday.

After losing the starting job to Kyler Murray, sitting out the last preseason game with an ankle injury, and even getting listed as a potential cut-candidate, the mystery surrounding McCarthy's future with Minnesota got even more nebulous after Teasley took to the podium. The Vikings general manager revealed that McCarthy has practiced in full all week, despite reports from ESPN's Adam Schefter that this was a 'multi-week' injury. Teasley also declined to comment on McCarthy's current standing on the depth chart, effectively pushing the trade rumors even further.

"I wouldn't necessarily comment on (quarterback) depth immediately, but I'm pleased that he's part of our present version of the Minnesota Vikings, and I'm excited about (J.J. McCarthy's) future," said Teasley. He also added that he did expect McCarthy to be on the roster for Week 1.

'Present version of the Minnesota Vikings' is a bit of an odd way to phrase things, but maybe that's reading too much into it. Ultimately, though, this circus seems far from over as things are clearly not adding up. McCarthy will likely enter the season as QB3 for the Vikings if a trade doesn't happen, but either way, it appears that his time in Minnesota is coming to a close within the next year.

Obviously, Kyler Murray could get hurt, or some desperate team could send over an offer the Vikings couldn't refuse, but this whole thing probably ends the boring way with McCarthy riding the bench this season before an eventual split in 2027.

2. Did the Vikings do enough to address the concerns at edge?

The Vikings were patient when it came to addressing their need for edge depth, and eventually landed on signing veteran Kyle Van Noy to the practice squad to fill that void. He's a seasoned player with familiarity in Brian Flores' scheme, but he's also 35 years old and coming off of his worst statistical year since 2016. So did the Vikings solve their edge issues for 2026 or just kick the can down the road?

Overall, the Van Noy signing is tough to hate. He's been highly productive in his career, and his knowledge of Flores' defense is an added bonus. His age and lack of recent production (just two sacks in 2025) are certainly concerns, but for a rotational role they can be mostly forgiven. His experience is the real prize at the bottom of this edge rusher cereal box.

Behind starters Dallas Turner and Andrew Van Ginkel, edges Bo Richter and Chaz Chambliss have less than 150 combined career defensive snaps. That's not to say they couldn't emerge as solid players in 2026, but that lack of experience would be slightly scary to rely on should one of the starters miss time. Van Noy releases some of that pressure now, and a steady veteran presence should be a welcome sight for the young defensive front.

Don't expect Van Noy to put up video game numbers this season, but the Vikings would have been hard-pressed to find a better fit for their edge needs this late in the game.

3. What will Harrison Smith's fate be for 2026?

Speaking of old guys, Harrison Smith has still not made his intentions known just 10 days ahead of the season opener.

The future Hall of Famer has kept mum all summer about a potential return, and while a quiet retirement may be the final outcome, his knowledge and experience would still be welcomed on Vikings if he returned for an 15th season. When asked if he had any interest in a possible reunion, Teasley didn't discount it, but also said Smith has to show he wants to come back first.

"I mean really that's up to Harrison. We're always open to adding good football players," Teasley said.

The wheels of the NFL keep on turning, however, and the Vikings will have to prepare as though he won't be coming back for now. The team kept five safeties on the 53-man roster, including undrafted free agent Jacob Thomas, but the room may not be finalized just yet.

"Its one of our deeper positions," said Teasley. "We all saw Jacob Thomas play. It was good to see Jakobe Thomas come back into the Denver game. I can go on and on...but we're always going to look to add good football players."

Flores is well-known for his love of versatile safeties, and Teasley's comments hint that there may be more moves to be made at the position. After losing Jamal Adams to a season-ending injury in the first preseason game, the Vikings haven't added any other players to the room. Perhaps Jacob Thomas' emergence is enough to keep them satisfied, otherwise another veteran addition can't be ruled out if Smith opts to stay retired.

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