The Minnesota Vikings began training camp three weeks ago, have played one preseason game, and the regular season starts in 22 days. The roster has changed in the last month, and VikesNow is highlighting players who have lost ground.
The following players are listed alphabetically.
Not Everyone Left Training Camp in a Better Position
1. Dillon Bell | WR
The Dillon Bell hype train did not reach its destination, or at least it hasn’t yet. After Minnesota discovered him as an undrafted free agent in late April, former NFLers and college coaches lined up to explain that Bell could be an unearthed gem. And at minicamp and organized team activities, Bell lived up to the billing.
Then, he kind of vanished.
Bell is not currently trending to make the 53-man roster, especially with Myles Price’s emergence as a bonafide pass catcher. Dontae Fleming and Jeshaun Jones have also produced more noticeable camp moments. In short, Bell has experienced a sharp reversal of fortune.
He’s been left off some pundits’ 53-man projection entirely, a stark contrast to his momentum in June. While Thursday’s joint practice included a useful swing-pass gain, it wasn’t enough to offset the bigger trend: Bell has gone from a potential sleeper to a roster bubble concern – – and probably practice squader.
SI.com‘s Jason Harmon noted earlier this month, “So, what does that mean for Bell? The final spot in the room will likely come down to Bell, Fleming, and Jones. So far, Bell seems to be third in the running.”
“He’ll need to utilize the remaining camp practices, and most importantly, the preseason, to showcase the skill set that turned heads all spring.”
2. J.J. McCarthy | QB
By far the most visible faller of the summer, McCarthy lost the quarterback battle in just two weeks to Kyler Murray. The man will not be the Vikings’ starting quarterback in September, unless an injury besets Murray.
Minnesota entered the 2025 campaign with McCarthy as the primary QB1 solution for the short and long term. He responded by getting hurt three times, playing 10 games, showing some fantastic moments late in games, and ranking near the bottom of the NFL in every meaningful quarterback metric.
Entering Preseason Game No. 2, McCarthy must play well enough to keep Carson Wentz at bay, who, in theory, could snatch the QB2 job if head coach Kevin O’Connell trusts Wentz more in real-life game situations. After all, Wentz was more efficient than McCarthy when he spelled him in 2025.
McCarthy said after the demotion, “There’s so many things out of my control, like the heat today. And it’s just really having the discernment to figure out which of the two quarterbacks, and that was one of the things outside of my control.”
“And me attacking and optimizing every opportunity, which was in my control, and that’s all I was focusing on.”
McCarthy is valued and still QB2, but his 2026 path changed drastically. A summer that could have restored franchise quarterback status instead revealed wholesale uncertainty. Depending on Murray’s production and durability, McCarthy could be the Vikings’ QB1 by January or tradebait with the offseason afoot. The stakes are high.
The Vikings also fired the guy – – Kwesi Adofo-Mensah – – who drafted McCarthy in 2024. That transaction gives Minnesota an off-ramp if needed. The implication can be “We fired the man responsible for this blunder,” and it won’t be strange at all if McCarthy finds a new chapter elsewhere.
3. Dwight McGlothern | CB
Minnesota added two notable cornerbacks this offseason: veteran James Pierre and rookie Charles Demmings. Both, beyond the shadow of a doubt, have leapfrogged McGlothern on the depth chart. McGlothern must now hope that defensive coordinator Brian Flores keeps five cornerbacks on the 53-man roster.
McGlothern entered camp needing to prove his worth as a developmental boundary corner for another year. The competition then intensified around him, and many roster predictions now exclude him from the 53-man roster – – including one released after the first preseason game.
While this doesn’t definitively rule him out, it suggests McGlothern’s chances are slim for the 53-man roster. He needed to solidify his position this summer. That has not happened.
Have you heard McGlothern’s name at all this summer? Exactly.
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VikesNow Verdict: Bell, McCarthy and McGlothern entered the summer with very different expectations, but each is leaving it in a worse position. That’s all there is to it.
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