Jakobe Thomas's Uphill Battle to Vikings Playing Time Became Steeper After Week 7

The path to finding playing time just became harder to climb.

Any Vikings fans hoping to see rookie safety Jakobe Thomas in the lineup anytime soon will likely have to be patient for a little while longer. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was extremely disappointing to see rookie defensive back Jakobe Thomas listed as one of the six players declared inactive for the Vikings' Week 7 victory over the Colts on Sunday.

Thomas' inactive designation follows the trend of him being sidelined for every game this season after joining the team as a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, meaning that he has never been active on game day since joining the team.

The 23-year-old safety has been patient in waiting for his opportunity to get on the field while others at his position struggled, but the solid play of his peers will make his case for playing time more difficult.

The road to Jakobe Thomas being active is more difficult after Vikings safeties' performance vs. Colts

With Thomas inactive on the sideline, veteran Harrison Smith, versatile defender Josh Metellus, and fifth-year defensive back Theo Jackson all had good games against the Colts.

Smith had four tackles, half a sack, and the game-clinching interception. Meanwhile, Metellus finished second on the team in tackles, bringing down seven Colts ball carriers. Jackson tied for the third-most tackles on the team with five. They all graded well on Pro Football Focus, too:

Grade	Harrison Smith	Josh Metellus	Theo Jackson
Overall	84.8	59.8	72.1
Run defense	69.3	61.7	72.6
Tackling	81.8	64.8	85.1
Coverage	77.6	59.5	63.4
Defensive snaps	31	59	36

Even fellow rookie S Jacob Thomas saw four defensive snaps, bringing his total to a modest 26 on the year.

These performances from Smith, Metellus, and Jackson take pressure off defensive coordinator Brian Flores and head coach Kevin O'Connell to make a change at safety. That will make Thomas's chances of being active in Week 8 on the road against the Lions, who average the second-most points (30.7) and total yards (397.3) per game this season.

What's next for Jakobe Thomas?

Now, Thomas is in a position where he needs to continue working hard in practice to make a good impression on special teams coordinator Matt Daniels. Getting his foot in the door on special teams seems like the most logical way to earn a role on game day, even if it isn't the flashiest way to do it.

Interestingly, Thomas is one of only two rookies selected in the first 100 picks of the 2026 to be inactive for every game this season, with the other being Broncos defensive lineman Tyler Onyedim.

By now, Thomas has to be hungry to see some regular-season action. But the former Miami (FL) defensive back needs to continue to be patient until his opportunity comes. In the meantime, he can continue to learn a lot from players like Smith, Metellus and Jackson to be ready for when O'Connell, Flores & Co. give him the green light to be active on game day... eventually.

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