Mandatory minicamp is over in Minnesota, and the Vikings are heading into a summer that could decide more than just a few roster spots. Kevin O’Connell is entering his fifth season with a new general manager in Nolan Teasley, and the margin for error in the NFC North has never been thinner.
The Bears are suddenly contenders behind Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson. The Lions are wounded but still dangerous. And the Packers with Jordan Love are always a threat. The Vikings can’t afford dead weight on the roster, and a handful of veterans might not survive the cutdown to 53.
Who's on the bubble
QB Max Brosmer
The Vikings fixed their quarterback problem this offseason. Sort of. Kyler Murray arrived in a trade and will battle J.J. McCarthy for the starting job this summer. Carson Wentz is in camp as the third arm. That leaves Max Brosmer, who started two games last year and threw four interceptions with zero touchdowns, sitting at No. 4 on the depth chart.
Brosmer completed 47 of 71 passes for 328 yards in eight games last season. The numbers aren’t great. O’Connell has praised him publicly, but the math is simple. The Vikings aren’t keeping four quarterbacks on the active roster. Brosmer is the odd man out unless an injury changes things or the team tries to stash him on the practice squad.
LB Ivan Pace
Pace was a revelation as an undrafted rookie in 2023. He started 11 games and racked up 102 tackles, 2.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. But the league adjusted, or his role shrank, or both. Last season he started just six games and his tackle total dropped to 62.
The Vikings are deeper at linebacker now. Pace isn’t projected to start at any of the four spots in Brian Flores’ scheme. That alone wouldn’t be a death sentence, but the money complicates things. Pace is due $3.52 million this season, and that cap hit sticks out for a backup who isn’t on special teams core units. If the Vikings need to free up space for another addition, Pace could be a casualty.
TE T.J. Hockenson
This one hurts more because of what Hockenson used to be. When the Vikings traded for him in 2022, he was a matchup nightmare. He caught 86 passes for 914 yards and six touchdowns that season, then followed it up with 95 catches for 960 yards and five scores in 2023. Then the knee injury happened. Torn ACL and MCL late in that season.
Hockenson rehabbed hard and played through the last two years, but the explosiveness isn’t there anymore. He’s still a reliable target over the middle, but he doesn’t separate the way he used to. The Vikings aren’t paying for a serviceable tight end. They’re paying for a difference-maker. He hasn’t looked like one in a while.
The team hasn’t made any moves yet, but there’s a quiet sense that Minnesota could be in the market for another tight end before training camp. If they add one, Hockenson’s roster spot becomes a real conversation topic. The dead money would be painful, but so is carrying a $15 million cap hit for a player who’s no longer playing at that level.
These are the kind of decisions that define a season. The Vikings have talent, but the roster isn’t deep enough to carry expensive backups or declining stars. Something has to give.
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