Minnesota Vikings OT Christian Darrisaw (non-injury) did not practice Friday, Sept. 11, but is not listed on the Week 1 injury report. S Harrison Smith (non-injury) was a limited participant and does not carry an injury designation. S Jakobe Thomas (illness), S Jacob Thomas (ankle) and OT Caleb Tiernan (ankle) fully participated and have been removed from the injury report.
SOURCE: Packers.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Week 1 injury report for Minnesota

#minnesota #week #thomas #darrisaw

The Minnesota Vikings continue to be relatively healthy as Week 1 approaches. Jakobe Thomas, the team's third-round pick at safety, was the only player who didn't participate in Wednesday's practice due to an illness.
However, it appears Thomas has gotten past that. He was limited in Thursday's practice, as were fellow rookies Caleb Tiernan (ankle) and Jacob Thomas (ankle), the undrafted free-agent safety out of James Madison.
Green Bay's injury list was lengthier, with DL Warren Brinson and LB Ty'Ron Hopper listed as DNPs for the second straight day. Starters who were limited on Thursday included RT Zach Bako-Bewele (knee), LG Aaron Banks (knee), DL Devonte Wyatt (ankle), DL Javon Hargrave (knee), and EDGE Barryn Sorrell (foot).
Starting LT Jordan Morgan (knee) was upgraded to a full participant after being limited on Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Thursday injury report for the Vikings Week 1 matchup

#thomas #thursday #safety #practice

Harrison Smith looked like he had already played his final snap for the Minnesota Vikings. They even gave their longtime safety what appeared to be a farewell last season, only for Smith to leave the door open without ever officially announcing retirement.
Now, that door has swung wide open, and the "Hitman" is coming back for another season, and his return suddenly gives the Vikings some much-needed experience in a secondary that has taken several hits this offseason.
Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Vikings safety Harrison Smith (22) celebrates after catching an interception against the Detroit Lions in the third quarter at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
The Vikings are bringing Smith back for his 15th NFL season on a one-year contract worth $12.25 million, with the deal capable of reaching $16.25 million through incentives, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo. The agreement comes just days before Minnesota opens the regular season against the Green Bay Packers, turning what looked like the end of Smith's career into one more run in purple.
The timing could hardly be better for the Vikings. Their safety room has been battered throughout training camp. Theo Jackson is recovering from a leg injury, third-round rookie Jakobe Thomas spent some time on the bench because of his back problem, and Jamal Adams got a season-ending quadriceps injury. Josh Metellus and Jay Ward had to carry the load, but now, the Vikings needed someone more experienced.

#season #looked #like

The Vikings' selection of Caleb Banks is going to be debated for months until he steps on the field in a regular-season game. Given the injury concerns, folks will want to see how sustainable his play is, but, of course, they will hope for the best. Beyond the Banks pick though, this class has shown to be decent enough to generate some early contributors throughout camp and the preseason.
When it comes to the depth of it all, it helps explain why Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley is a fan of the group the team selected. This week he spoke to the media, and he discussed the class, saying, "We've seen all of our players improve on a daily basis, and so really excited about the trajectory of the draft class."
On defense, this class could have four impactful players, including defensive linemen Caleb Banks and Domonique Orange. Linebacker Jake Golday is being used in a variety of ways, and safety Jakobe Thomas projects as someone who will be a part of the rotation.
Not a bad class for a first-year general manager to take in when he didn't have a say in any of the picks, as he was with the Seattle Seahawks at the time of the draft.
This article originally appeared on Vikings Wire: Minnesota Vikings are excited about their draft class ahead of Week 1

#class #banks #draft #week

After the Minnesota Vikings beat the New York Giants in their first preseason game, we have some more tangible play on which to base early evaluations of players on the Vikings' roster. So which players helped their cause on Saturday- and which ones hurt it? Here is a stock market report for the Vikings as they head into joint practices with the Baltimore Ravens later this week. I focused on the quarterbacks, rookies, and those further down the depth chart.
Kyler Murray. Nothing spectacular here, but he was able to run the offense without any big hiccups and at least managed a scoring drive on the one drive he played. A good first trial run.
Carson Wentz. Also showed he can run the offense well after he was given a half-game of snaps. Looking more like QB2 at this point.
Jacob Thomas. Not to be confused with third-round pick Jakobe Thomas. Jacob Thomas is a safety and a UDFA rookie out of James Madison. He had the most reps of any player on both defense and special teams and had the highest PFF grade of any special teamer (82.3) and was tied for the most special teams tackles (2) and was also the second-highest PFF graded defender (92.5) with one tackle for a stop, 2 ******* ists, and an interception. He has impressed in training camp as well and all that is how an unheralded UDFA makes the roster. He was taking some first-team reps in Monday's practice.
Max Bredeson. He only had seven snaps on offense, but he showed he can be an effective role player at fullback in the Vikings' evolving offensive scheme. He also did well as a core special teamer. He looks like he'll be an upgrade over C.J. Ham.

#thomas #offense #well

The Vikings' defense has enjoyed the presence of Harrison Smith ever since he was drafted back in 2012. The team enjoys his presence on and off the field, but at 37, some things are just not the same as they used to be. As a result, the unsigned veteran is sitting on the side waiting for something to change or to retire.
Meanwhile, the team is in the middle of training camp and preparing to move on from Smith, unless, of course, he wants to come back. They are preparing for the future by drafting Jakobe Thomas out of Miami (FL), and they will lean on the remaining veterans.
None of this seems to matter, though, based on the recent work done by ESPN's Benjamin Solak. He wrote about his takeaways from Vikings camp, which did include some thoughts on Smith and the Vikings' safety position.
He writes, "There's no way to replace safety Harrison Smith. . .That's if he retires. It isn't formalized yet, and the Vikings are hoping he returns despite drafting safety Jakobe Thomas in the third round. While I was at camp, Thomas was not yet taking many first-team reps, but that's understandable, given how complex this defense is. . .My sense in watching practice and speaking to folks on the ground is there's no one winning idea for how to replace Smith just yet."
There has to be some faith placed on the shoulders of Brian Flores with the trio he has in place. Led by Josh Metellus, the Vikings' safeties have played well under the tutelage of Flores. Losing Smith will be a heavy hit, but time will tell how tough a transition it is.

#jakobe #defense

As in all sports, NFL teams need to hit on their draft picks, as their rosters are so expansive. It is imperative to leave a draft class with at least one to two starters and to be able to find depth pieces to support. In recent years, the Minnesota Vikings have struggled to find an abundance of quality, as Minnesota has drafted 28 players since 2022, and only four have turned out to be starters.
However, according to Alec Lewis of The Athletic, the rookies are showing out so far in training camp, with love being given to the later-round picks as well. Here are some of Lewis' thoughts:
Early returns look promising. First-round pick Caleb Banks responded from left foot surgery and is already mixing in with the starters. Second-round linebacker Jake Golday tipped a pass Saturday, evoking shades of edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel.
There has been positivity from the later-round picks, too. ***** istant head coach Frank Smith spent some time after Saturday's practice reviewing techniques with fullback Max Bredeson. Cornerback Chuck Demmings blanketed Jefferson and deflected a pass. Safety Jakobe Thomas continues to show up in all areas of Brian Flores' defense, and undrafted safety Jacob Thomas tends to play right alongside him.
This was a defensive-heavy draft class, and it is a promising sign to see that the bulk of the picks are performing well so far. It will be fascinating to see them in action in the preseason to see just how far they have come.

#picks #starters #lewis

The Real Forno Show returns with Tyler Forness and producer Dave Stefano on the The Real Forno Show breaking down the hottest Minnesota Vikings storylines two weeks before training camp — from Brian Flores’ rookie snap counts to a fiery and continuing Kyler Murray vs. J.J. McCarthy quarterback debate. With guests RAP and Norsepheus joining the conversation, this episode is must-listen content for every Vikings fan heading into 2026.
Forness dissects the Kevin Seifert ESPN report on Flores’ historically low rookie usage, arguing that context — draft capital, player age, system complexity — matters more than raw snap numbers. “It’s not just about the fact that he doesn’t play rookies,” Forness says. “It’s about situations. It’s about what the player is and how they project forward.” The panel also projects snap counts for the 2026 rookie defensive class, including Caleb Banks (520 snaps, 10 starts), Jake Golday (246 snaps), Domonique Orange (310 snaps), Jakobe Thomas (290 snaps), and Charles Demmings (210 snaps).
The second half of the show catches fire when guests RAP and Norsepheus join to weigh in on the Kyler Murray vs. J.J. McCarthy competition. RAP puts it plainly: “If the Vikings can just get somebody who can run and control the offense, we can be a Super Bowl contender.” Meanwhile, Norsepheus challenges Kevin O’Connell’s quarterback development record and Murray’s fit in a play-action system, asking: “How is a guy stuck in the pistol or shotgun going to help Kevin O’Connell’s offense?” Tyler counters that Murray “is a pocket passer first that will scramble — he wants to stay and kill you in the pocket,” making him a potentially strong fit for O’Connell’s scheme.
Brian Flores & Rookie Snaps: The Vikings rank second-to-last in rookie starts (16) and defensive snaps (2,110) over three years — but Forness argues the per-player average tells a different, less **** ing story. “Brian Flores will play rookies when they deserve to play, when they’re ready to play.”
2026 Rookie Snap Projections: Caleb Banks leads the class with a projected 520 snaps and 10 starts; Charles Demmings sits at the floor with 210 snaps and zero starts — “less than 20% of snaps per game.”