MINNESOTA VIKINGS NEWS

Jalen Nailor - Could be favorite for No. 3 WR role Nailor is likely the internal favorite to be Minnesota's No. 3 receiver at this stage of training camp, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Impact It's early in the competition for the third receiver role, but it was thought Brandon Powell had a lead for the job at the start of training camp. It's also possible the Vikings bring in another veteran to compete for the sport. Nailor showed improvement in a limited sample size in his third season last year (12 catches for 208 yards and a touchdown on 19 targets) and has drawn praise early in camp, but the competition is wide open against Brandon Powell and Trent Sherfield. Whoever wins the role could get a significant number of targets early in the season with tight end T.J. Hockenson likely to miss several games in coming back from January surgery for a torn ACL.

JULY 28 • ROTOWIRE

Vikings stick to process with McCarthy, as Darnold's presence keeps pressure off rookie QB

The expectations and scrutiny that hound NFL quarterbacks drafted at the top of the first round is mere background noise for J

JULY 27 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Cowboys relying on linebacker Eric Kendricks to lead and help shore up run defense

Eric Kendricks is serving many different roles in his first training camp with the Dallas Cowboys

JULY 27 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Shaq Griffin - Managing leg injury Griffin is deal with a soft tissue injury to his left leg, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Impact Griffin signed with Minnesota in March and has a chance to earn a starting role at cornerback with his new team, but he'll be held out of practice for a period while recovering from the leg issue. Head coach Kevin O'Connell said Saturday that "it might be a week or so" before Griffin returns, so it doesn't appear that the injury is going to prevent him from being ready to suit up when the regular season rolls around.

JULY 27 • ROTOWIRE

Vikings DC Brian Flores still gets a pit in his stomach when thinking about Khyree Jackson

The Minnesota Vikings still harbor heavy thoughts about Khyree Jackson

JULY 25 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mekhi Blackmon - Moves to IR The Vikings placed Blackmon (knee) on injured reserve Thursday.

Impact This move comes as no surprise, as Blackmon tore his ACL during Wednesday's practice and will now miss all of Minnesota's 2024 campaign. The USC product posted a solid rookie season in 2023, recording 41 total tackles and eight passes defended, including one interception, across 15 games. Expect Akayleb Evans, Andrew Booth and Jaylin Williams to see more first-team reps with Blackmon now officially out for the year.

JULY 25 • ROTOWIRE

Vikings' Jordan Addison remorseful following DUI arrest, finding respite

Jordan Addison was present for the Vikings' first practice of training camp after his arrest for an alleged DUI, saying he was in a "dark pl...

JULY 25

Bears QB Caleb Williams leads 14 NFL rookies who must make an impact from Day 1

Here are the 2024 NFL rookies best prepared for plug-and-play roles. They'd better be. Their teams are counting on them.

JULY 25

Vikings cornerback Mekhi Blackmon tears ACL in opening practice of training camp, AP source says

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Mekhi Blackmon tore his ACL during a drill in the first practice of training camp, according to a person with knowledge of the injury

JULY 25 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mekhi Blackmon - Tears ACL in practice Blackmon (knee) sustained a torn ACL in the first practice of Vikings training camp Wednesday, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.

Impact Blackmon sustained the injury during 7-on-7 drills Wednesday, and after staying on the ground for several minutes, he walked off the field with trainers to the Vikings' facility. It's a brutal blow for Blackmon, who played in 15 games as a rookie in 2023 and was expected to play a larger role in Minnesota's secondary alongside Shaquill Griffin and Byron Murphy this season. With Blackmon sidelined, Akayleb Evans is set to see increased work with the first-team defense at corner during training camp, while Andrew Booth and Jaylin Williams should both see additional opportunities in the secondary.

JULY 25 • ROTOWIRE

Mekhi Blackmon - Sustains knee injury Blackmon left during training camp Thursday with a knee injury, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Impact Blackmon limped off the field during 7-on-7 drills and was attended by medical officials before leaving for the locker room, per Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com. It could be a significant blow for Blackmon, who missed the last two regular-season games last year due to a shoulder injury. The 2023 third-round pick out of USC finished his rookie season with 41 tackles (34 solo), eight passes defended and one interception across 15 regular-season contests, and he was set to see a larger role in the secondary this year alongside Byron Murphy (knee) and Shaquill Griffin. Akayleb Evans saw additional work with the first-team difference after Blackmon went down, per Will Ragatz of SI.com, and the former could see increased snaps if the latter is sidelined for an extended period of time.

JULY 24 • ROTOWIRE

DeWayne McBride - Comes off NFI list McBride (undisclosed) was activated off the Vikings' active/non-football injury list Wednesday, Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

Impact McBride's injury must have not been serious, as the 23-year-old running back spent just two days on Minnesota's active/non-football injury list before activation. Now that the UAB product has returned to form, he's expected to compete with Myles Gaskin and Kene Nwangwu for a depth role in the Vikings' backfield.

JULY 24 • ROTOWIRE

Christian Darrisaw - Signs massive extension Darrisaw and the Vikings agreed on a four-year, $113 million contract extension Tuesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Impact Darrisaw still had two years remaining on his rookie contract after being selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, but considering he's one of the best left tackles in the league, Minnesota was smart to lock him up long term. The offensive lineman will get $77 million in guaranteed money, which is the highest total for anyone at his position in the NFL.

JULY 24 • ROTOWIRE

Vikings agree to 4-year extension with LT Christian Darrisaw, contract runs through 2029

The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to a four-year extension Tuesday with left tackle Christian Darrisaw.

JULY 24

Vikings agree to 4-year extension with LT Christian Darrisaw worth up to $113M

The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to a four-year extension with left tackle Christian Darrisaw that's worth up to $113 million

JULY 23 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Vikings put T.J. Hockenson on PUP list to start camp with star tight end rehabbing from ACL repair

Minnesota tight end T.J. Hockenson was placed on the physically unable to perform list on Monday for the beginning of training camp, his rec...

JULY 23

Vikings start camp grieving the loss of Khyree Jackson, and honoring rookie's life

Khyree Jackson was supposed to report to training camp this week with the rest of the Minnesota Vikings draft class

JULY 23 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Minnesota Vikings will cover large portion of funeral expenses for Khyree Jackson

The Minnesota Vikings will cover a large sum of funeral expenses for the late Khyree Jackson.

JULY 22

DeWayne McBride - Heads to NFI list The Vikings placed McBride (undisclosed) on their NFI list Monday.

Impact The nature and severity of McBride's injury is currently unknown, but he'll now begin Minnesota's training camp on the NFI list. McBride, a 2023 seventh-round pick out of UAB, is still eligible to practice or play at any point in the preseason, but this injury could significantly jeopardize the 23-year-old's chances at making the Vikings' 53-man roster.

JULY 22 • ROTOWIRE

T.J. Hockenson - Officially shifts to PUP list The Vikings placed Hockenson (knee) on the active/PUP list Monday.

Impact The transaction confirms an announcement by coach Kevin O'Connell earlier Monday. Hockenson is eligible to come off the PUP list at any point during training camp or the preseason, once ready to practice, but given the timing of his late-January procedure to repair a torn ACL, the 27-year-old tight end seems like a real candidate to miss some time early in the regular season. Josh Oliver, Robert Tonyan and Johnny Mundt will be candidates to benefit from increased first-team reps as long as Hockenson remains sidelined.

JULY 22 • ROTOWIRE

NaJee Thompson - Lands on PUP list The Vikings placed Thompson (knee) on the PUP list Monday.

Impact Thompson has been dealing with a knee issue since the beginning of January and it's now caused him to land on Minnesota's PUP list. The second-year cornerback is still eligible to practice and play in the preseason at any point, but his placement on the PUP indicates he's not fully past his knee injury just yet. Expect Thompson to compete for a special teams role as the offseason progresses.

JULY 22 • ROTOWIRE

Andrew Van Ginkel - Close to return Van Ginkel (foot) is "close" to participating fully in training camp, Kevin Seifert of ESPN.com reports.

Impact Van Ginkel sustained a foot injury during the Dolphins' regular-season finale that held him out of the team's playoff loss to the Chiefs, but it now seems as if he's nearing a return to the field. The Wisconsin product inked a two-year, $20 million deal with the Vikings earlier this offseason, and he's expected to serve as one of the team's top edge-rushers once he returns to full health.

JULY 22 • ROTOWIRE

T.J. Hockenson - Will start camp on PUP list Coach Kevin O'Connell said Monday that Hockenson (knee) will start training camp on the active/PUP list, Alec Lewis of The Athletic reports.

Impact O'Connell said Hockenson is "well ahead of schedule" in his recovery from ACL undergone late January, per Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, but he also said "the significant injury that it was, we want to make sure everything is done the right way." It sounds like the Vikings will continue taking a cautious approach while working Hockenson back into action, and given that the standout tight end still remains without a timetable to return, his availability for Week 1 remains doubtful. Once back on the field, it could take Hockenson some time to ramp up to pre-injury form in terms of production, so it won't be surprising if he gets off to a slow start once healthy, then improves down the stretch of the 2024 season.

JULY 22 • ROTOWIRE

Can any rookie QB lead a C.J. Stroud, Texans-like ascension in 2024?

Are any of the six QBs selected in the first round of the NFL Draft equipped to lead a rise similar to the one the Texans had last year with...

JULY 18

NFL training camp 2024: Dates, locations for all 32 teams

The NFL has released details on the training camp locations and report dates for all 32 teams.

JULY 17