It sounds like most of Denver’s starters will not be on the field for the club’s preseason finale.
Head coach Sean Payton told reporters in his Wednesday press conference that quarterback Bo Nix “probably” will not play against Minnesota on Friday.
Payton then noted, tongue in cheek, that he didn’t want to go through the rest of the roster. But it stands to reason that if Nix is not playing, most starters won’t be out there either.
While Nix did not play in Denver’s first preseason game, he did get 14 snaps last week against the Packers. Nix led the offense to two scoring drives, tossing a 21-yard touchdown to RJ Harvey before leading the club to a field goal on his second possession.
Nix ended that contest 6-of-9 passing for 76 yards with a TD, displaying his health after suffering a fractured ankle toward the end of the Broncos’ divisional-round victory over the Bills in January.
Entering his third season, Nix has started all 17 games in each of his first two seasons. In 2025, he completed 63.4 percent of his league-leading 612 passes for 3,931 yards with 25 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Kickoff between the Vikings and Broncos this week is slated for 9 p.m. ET on Friday night.
Long-time Vikings safety Harrison Smith remains unsigned. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell continues to talk to Smith.
“I’ve had my kind of weekly, you know, dialogues and discussions with him that have ranged to a lot of different topics,” O’Connell told reporters on Wednesday. “But yeah, we’ve been in — I’ve talked to him as, you know, I’ve talked to him this week, and kind of just continuing to, in addition to all those other fun things to talk about, have some conversations about where he’s at, and what he’s thinking, and we’ll keep you guys updated if there is an update on that. But right now the priority is, obviously, these guys out here today and getting down to 53 [roster spots] and our 16 practice squad spots.”
Speculation regarding a potential Smith reunion intensified after Jamal Adams suffered a season-ending torn quadriceps tendon during the preseason opener.
A first-round pick in 2012, Smith has spent his entire 14-year career in Minnesota. It sounds like it’s still possible there will be a fifteenth.
The Vikings seem to be more than willing. It may all come down to what Smith decides to do.
After losing the starting quarterback job to Kyler Murray, J.J. McCarthy could be losing the backup spot, too.
Via Kevin Seifert of ESPN, McCarthy and Carson Wentz split second-team reps during an 80-minute practice on Tuesday.
McCarthy, who fell to No. 2 in the days before the preseason opener, has not performed well in a pair of exhibition games. He continues to have accuracy issues, and he continues to overuse his fastball when making throws.
Wentz was a capable backup in 2025 for the Vikings, despite not signing until late August. With a full offseason, training camp, and preseason in the system, Wentz would be in even better position to fill in for Murray, if necessary.
With Max Brosmer also on the roster, McCarthy could be in danger of not being on the roster by Sunday, when the rosters reduce to 53. The Vikings undoubtedly would try to trade him, since the balance of his 2026 pay ($1.075 million) and all of his 2027 compensation ($3.775 million) are fully guaranteed. The Vikings may have to pay a significant chunk of the money in order to facilitate a deal.
Ultimately, the Vikings may have to simply waive McCarthy.
However it plays out, it’s not looking good for McCarthy in Minnesota. It will be interesting to see whether and to what extent McCarthy plays in the preseason finale against the Broncos.
Wide receiver Jeshaun Jones will find out whether he makes the cut to 53 players in Minnesota later this week, but he won’t be playing in any of the team’s first three games either way.
The NFL announced that Jones has been suspended for three games on Tuesday. The ban comes as a result of a violation of the league’s substance abuse policy.
Jones signed with the Vikings after going undrafted in 2024 and he has spent the last two seasons on the team’s practice squad. He was elevated to play in Week 18 last season and returned two punts for five yards.
Jones will be able to practice this week and play in the preseason finale before his suspension takes effect. The Vikings will set their initial 53-man roster by Sunday afternoon.
The NFL’s second wave of “Rivalries” uniforms were unveiled on Tuesday.
All the teams from the NFC North and AFC South will wear the uniforms at some point during the 2026 season for a home game against a divisional opponent. They can be worn for games during the 2027 and 2028 seasons as well.
The first game to feature the new threads will come in Week 3 when the Colts don their new “Anvil Strike” look against the Texans. The Packers will debut their alternates in Week 5 against the Bears while Week 8 will see both the Jaguars and Lions throw on the new uniforms.
Week 10 will bring the Titans into the fold and the Texans will sport their alternate look when the Colts visit in Week 11. The Vikings will debut their rivalry outfits against the Lions in Week 15 and the Bears will be the last team to join the fun when they host Green Bay in Week 16.
