4 Biggest Winners From Vikings' 53-Man Roster Decisions (Chaz Chambliss's Outlook Rises)

The Vikings announced their 53-man roster for the 2026 NFL season. Adjustments are sure to happen before the start of the regular season, but for now, the roster cuts are complete, and players know where they stand with the team.

While there weren't many surprises in the Vikings' roster cuts, some players might not have been very likely to survive the releases heading into this season and should be considered winners for making the roster.

These players will continue their careers with Minnesota and have more opportunities to prove the coaching staff correct in keeping them. Here are five players who should be considered the biggest winners from Sunday's cuts.

Winner #1: Brett Thorson, punter

With a year on his International Player Pathway roster exemption, Brett Thorson seemed like a lock for the practice squad, where he wouldn't count against the roster limit. Instead, the Vikings must have thought they would lose him if he were cut and thought he was valuable enough to beat out veteran Johnny Hekker for the job.

Throughout the preseason, Thorson and Hekker had nearly identical statistics. Hekker had nine punts for 434 yards with zero touchbacks and five landing inside the 20 and an average net gain of 40.0 yards per punt. Meanwhile, Thorson had eight punts for 380 yards with zero touchbacks and five landing inside the 20, an average net gain of 41.5 yards.

Since their statistics were so similar and the Australian punter is younger and cheaper, he became the best option for Minnesota this season.

Winner #2: Demond Claiborne, running back

The Vikings kept three halfbacks on the 53-man roster, and it came down to Demond Claiborne or Zavier Scott for the last spot. Scott was a solid contributor last season, but Minnesota went with the speedy young rookie instead.

Look at Demond Claiborne goooooo 💨💨 pic.twitter.com/mv33nDKio9
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 21, 2026

Minnesota made sure to get a good look at Claiborne during the preseason. He led all players with 28 rushing attempts, proving that head coach Kevin O'Connell sees something in the young man. Although he couldn't recreate the speed and acceleration he showed off at training camp, the Vikings want to see more.

Winner #3: Caleb Tiernan, offensive tackle

Caleb Tiernan had the kind of preseason that a player wants to forget. His struggles were headlined by a 28.2 Pro Football Focus grade for the preseason, the lowest of any Vikings player who played at least 30 snaps. Minnesota must really like what he does in practice for him to stick around.

Hopefully, he didn't make the roster only because he was a third-round draft pick. He suffered an ankle injury in the team's first preseason game against the Giants, but his 6-foot-7, 323-pound frame gives him the tools to be able to bounce back.

Winner #4: Chaz Chambliss, linebacker/fullback

It was fun watching Chaz Chambliss play offense and defense during the preseason. Although he is listed as an edge rusher by the Vikings, he should be a Swiss Army knife to fill in as a backup on offense and defense while primarily playing special teams.

Chambliss suited up at fullback in Minnesota's final preseason game and was not only a solid blocker but also made a four-yard catch against the Broncos. He changed his jersey number from 57 to 40 so he would be eligible to be a backup fullback if Minnesota needs him in that role.

Get Vikings On SI straight to your inbox: sign up for our free newsletter here.

Add us as a preferred source on Google