The Minnesota Vikings wrap up the preseason Friday night against the Tennessee Titans and the 53-man roster will be solidified by 3 p.m. CT Tuesday. Then it's off to the races as the regular season begins Sept. 8 at Soldier Field against the Bears.
Max Brosmer has looked good this preseason, but has no previous NFL experience. Sam Howell has NFL experience, but has looked shaky at times over the past month. Who will Kevin O'Connell choose to back up J.J. McCarthy?
Already in an injury crisis, the Vikings' wide receiver room took two more hits during Wednesday's practice with both Jordan Addison and rookie Tai Felton leaving the session early.
While Monday provided positive news with the Minnesota Vikings welcoming wide receiver Justin Jefferson and safety Josh Metellus back to practice, All-Pro edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel and veteran safety Harrison Smith remained sidelined.
He's back. Justin Jefferson has returned to practice for the Minnesota Vikings after missing the past three weeks with a minor hamstring strain that he suffered early in training camp.
Minnesota's second preseason game Saturday afternoon against the Patriots won't feature quarterback J.J. McCarthy and most of the key players, but there will be plenty of intriguing storylines as the regular season approaches.
It's still unclear what type of knee injury Vikings wide receiver Rondale Moore suffered in Minnesota's preseason game against the Houston Texans last Saturday.
Saturday's preseason game between the Vikings and Patriots will provide some good competition for the 53-man roster, but the real work will be Wednesday and Thursday when starters and immediate backups battle during joint practices.
Justin Jefferson continues to recover from a mild hamstring strain and he will not play in any of Minnesota's preseason games, but he will be featured during Saturday's exhibition opener between the Vikings and Houston Texans.
Anyone who questions J.J. McCarthy's arm strength (we're looking at you, Colin Cowherd) might want to get a look at the video McCarthy's personal quarterback coach released on social media Thursday.