Vikings Will Visit Browns For Joint Practices in Cleveland This Summer

The Vikings are heading to Cleveland for joint practices with the Browns this August, which will presumably take place ahead of a preseason game.

This will be the first time in a while that the Vikings hit the road for joint practices. Because their facility, TCO Performance Center, is so top-notch, they've mainly hosted other teams for those sessions in recent years. Last year, they hosted the Cardinals and the Titans for a couple practices each before preseason games. In 2022, they hosted the 49ers. In 2021, it was the Broncos. Back in 2018, the Jaguars came to Minnesota.

The Browns make a lot of sense as a joint practice partner because of the ties between the leadership groups of the two organizations. Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was hired two years ago after a couple years in Cleveland as the VP of football operations under GM Andrew Berry, who he calls one of his biggest mentors. Both teams' head coaches, Kevin O'Connell and Kevin Stefanski, have histories as assistant coaches for the other team. Stefanski was with the Vikings for 14 years before being hired as the Browns' head coach.

Last season, the Browns went 11-6 and finished second in the AFC North. Stefanski (coach of the year), Myles Garrett (defensive player of the year), Jim Schwartz (assistant coach of the year), and Joe Flacco (comeback player of the year) all won individual awards. The season ended in tough fashion when they went to Houston in the wild card round and lost 45-14 to C.J. Stroud and the Texans.

It'll be fun to watch the Vikings' offensive line go against Myles Garrett and old friend Dalvin Tomlinson in August (Za'Darius Smith is a free agent). Justin Jefferson going against Denzel Ward should be entertaining as well.

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