Minnesota

Vikings

Banks did not participate in the Vikings’ rookie minicamp today, and it is unclear whether he will participate in organized team activities and/or mandatory minicamp in June. Prior to the 2026 NFL Draft, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Banks was “on pace to be fully cleared for full football activities in early June.” We do not know if Banks’ rehab is going slower than expected or if the Vikings are just being extra cautious. Regardless, we expect updates as training camp gets closer.

Pelissero affirmed Addison’s role as a guest on the Rich Eisen Show. He prefaced the remarks by saying that WR Jauan Jennings’ signing “immediately raises questions” about whether the Vikings planned to move on from Addison before saying that they, in fact, do not. Jennings was brought in on a “cut-rate,” one-year deal to play the No. 3 wide receiver role.

We assumed this was the case, though Jennings’ size allows one to wonder if he might be valuable in heavy personnel packages. Nailor departed for the Raiders earlier this offseason. Vikings No. 2 WR Jordan Addison was suspended for Weeks 1-3 last season. From Week 4 on, Addison out-snapped Nailor 714-to-507. Expecting a similar split from Addison and Jennings this season is reasonable.

The front office brought in former Cardinals QB Kyler Murray this offseason. Murray, 28, is a far more accomplished player and can help stabilize the offense, whereas McCarthy’s ups and downs have proven costly. McCarthy seemingly faces an uphill battle to win the gig, though the team did invest the No. 10 overall pick in him in 2024.

NBC Sports’ Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reported the same in early April. In one corner, we have Murray, a former Pro Bowl and playoff quarterback. In the other, we have McCarthy, who has started 10 games in two years. Murray should be considered the strong favorite and can be treated accordingly in early best ball drafts.

The deal includes an $8 million base salary. Jennings can make an extra $5 million via incentives. This will be Jennings’ first time playing for a team other than the 49ers, who drafted him in the 2020 NFL Draft’s seventh round. Jennings, 28, caught 55 passes for 643 yards and a career-high nine touchdowns last year. He should start in three-wide receiver sets alongside Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison. Jefferson will rarely leave the field, but one wonders if Jennings (6'3/212) might be able to steal snaps from Addison (5'11/175) in two-wide receiver sets, in part due to Jennings’ run-blocking ability. Addison, 24, is the more talented receiver, so we expect him to remain the No. 2 target earner, but this dynamic is worth keeping an eye on in training camp. For now, Jennings can be viewed as a WR4/FLEX, while Jefferson sits in the WR1 tier and Addison in the WR2/3 range.

Heinicke most recently spent time on the Chargers’ roster, but was released in August 2025. He logged 29 starts in his career, 24 of which occurred during his time with the Commanders from 2020-22. Over the course of his career, Heinicke threw for 6,663 yards, 39 touchdowns and 28 interceptions, and rushed for 608 yards and three touchdowns. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Vikings, and spent time with the Patriots, Texans, Panthers and Falcons as well.

Alexander was a finalist for the Dolphins’ general manager vacancy earlier this offseason. Rams assistant general manager John McKay and Seahawks assistant general manager Nolan Teasley are also candidates for the role, and per ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Vikings executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski “has expressed interest in the job.” Seifert notes that all external candidates come from a scouting background.

The team has also requested interviews with Titans assistant general manager Dave Ziegler and Bills assistant general manager Terrance Gray. Gillen joined the 49ers as a scouting assistant in 2015. He worked his way up the corporate ladder and was eventually promoted to his current role last offseason.

It’s a bit of a surprise the Vikings have left their GM spot open after firing former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in late January. Gray has been a popular name in GM searches over the past couple offseasons. He landed an interviews for the Jaguars and Titans open general manager positions in February 2025. Gray, who’s been with the Bills since 2017, would take over a front office charged with figuring out how to navigate the team’s disastrous JJ McCarthy draft pick and keeping together a defensive core that has performed well over the past two seasons.