Minnesota
Vikings final 2024 53-man roster projection: Will rebuilt cornerback corps hold up?
The Minnesota Vikings open the 2024 NFL regular season at the New York Giants on Sept. 8 at MetLife Stadium.
At some positions, their core roster looks much different than it did when training camp began. The Vikings have overhauled the cornerback position, most notably by signing veteran Stephon Gilmore. Rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, meanwhile, was lost for the season after just one preseason appearance because of a torn meniscus in his right knee.
The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET Tuesday. Here is a projection for the Vikings:
QUARTERBACKS (3): Sam Darnold, Nick Mullens, Jaren Hall
Teams no longer need to keep a third quarterback on the 53-man roster to use them as the emergency quarterback on game day. And while there might not be a high risk in losing Hall on the waiver wire, should the Vikings try get him onto the practice squad, the Vikings probably won’t take that chance after having already lost McCarthy to injury. Last season’s quarterback carousel remains fresh on their minds. With McCarthy out for the season, Mullens moves from insurance policy to likely No. 2 behind Darnold.
RUNNING BACKS (3): Aaron Jones, Ty Chandler, Kene Nwangwu
Jones and Chandler are expected to shoulder most of the load at the position. The Vikings could probably get both Myles Gaskin and DeWayne McBride on the practice squad to maintain depth. Nwangwu is expected to be the primary kickoff returner.
FULLBACK (1): C.J. Ham
Vikings coaches have once again spoken glowingly this summer about Ham and their hope to find more ways to use him on offense. He played 19.4% of offensive snaps in 2023 after getting on the field for 14.7% of them in 2022.
WIDE RECEIVERS (6): Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor, Brandon Powell, Trishton Jackson, Trent Sherfield Sr.
The Vikings hope that Addison’s ankle injury, suffered Aug. 14 in joint practices with the Browns, has healed in time to pair him with Jefferson for Week 1. Nailor and Jackson had two of the most impressive camps among Vikings players this summer, locking them into the third and, possibly fourth receiver roles, respectively. Powell has special teams value, and Sherfield has $1 million fully guaranteed coming his way, whether he makes the team or not.
TIGHT ENDS (3): Johnny Mundt, Josh Oliver, Nick Muse
This is the group the Vikings will move forward with until T.J. Hockenson is ready to return from a torn ACL and MCL in his right knee. Mundt got the vast majority of targets with the first team during training camp, as he did at the end of last season after Hockenson’s injury. Veteran Robert Tonyan was slowed by a back injury during camp.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (10): Christian Darrisaw, Blake Brandel, Garrett Bradbury, Ed Ingram, Brian O’Neill, Dalton Risner, David Quessenberry, Walter Rouse, Dan Feeney, Michael Jurgens
An expected three-way competition at guard between Brandel, Ingram and Risner never materialized, largely due to an undisclosed injury that limited Risner’s availability. Brandel and Ingram took essentially all of the first team-reps, but it’s hard to imagine the Vikings parting ways with Risner altogether, assuming he is healthy. Jurgens struggled during preseason games and could probably make it to the practice squad if the Vikings need his roster spot elsewhere.
DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (5): Harrison Phillips, Jonathan Bullard, Jerry Tillery, Jonah Williams, Levi Drake Rodriguez
Five might ultimately be too low a number for this group. That would be especially true if defensive coordinator Brian Flores finds himself in more base situations than he did in 2023, when the Vikings used historically high rates of one- and two-man defensive lines. Rodriguez had a strong preseason, demonstrating good quickness at the snap, and has a chance to be part of the rotation.
LINEBACKERS (9): Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, Andrew Van Ginkel, Dallas Turner, Pat Jones II, Ivan Pacie Jr., Kamu Grugier-Hill, Jihad Ward, Gabriel Murphy
This group would seem to be the key to Flores’ ability to mix and match personnel based on matchups; most of these players can hold their own inside or outside or in other combinations. It might be tough for the Vikings to keep Grugier-Hill, Ward and Murphy, as well as 2022 third-round pick Brian Asamoah II. Murphy has missed extended time during camp due to injuries, making him a little more difficult to project.
CORNERBACKS (5): Stephon Gilmore, Shaquill Griffin, Byron Murphy Jr., Akayleb Evans, Fabian Moreau
It’s pretty wild that two of these five players — Gilmore and Moreau — were signed during training camp as the Vikings have worked to overhaul the position in real time. It’s assumed that Gilmore and Murphy will be the top two corners. Griffin missed most of camp because of a hamstring injury but will likely work on the outside, with Murphy in the slot for nickel formations. Moreau beats out rookie Dwight McGlothern, who would be a prime candidate for the practice squad.
SAFETIES (5): Harrison Smith, Camryn Bynum, Josh Metellus, Theo Jackson, Jay Ward
Smith, Bynum and Metellus will likely be part of the Vikings’ top 11 defenders, with Metellus resuming his multi-positional role. Jackson got off to a tremendous start in training camp and could force his way onto the field in some packages, while Ward moved between safety and cornerback and has value in that flexibility.
SPECIALISTS (3): Will Reichard, Ryan Wright, Andrew DePaola
Reichard and Wright each won training camp competitions, although Reichard — a sixth-round draft pick — was always a heavy favorite to be the kicker. Coverage specialist NaJee Thompson has dealt with a knee injury all summer and might not be ready for the regular season.
Anthony Edwards scored 31 points, Donte DiVincenzo added 18 and the surging Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Clippers 94-88 on Thursday night.
Jaden McDaniels and Ayo Dosunmu each scored 12 points and Rudy Gobert had 13 rebounds to help the Timberwolves improve to 5-1 since Feb. 9 and 3-1 since the All-Star break.
Edwards, returning to the site of the All-Star Game, where he was the MVP, was 12 for 24 from the floor and sealed the victory with a step-back three-pointer over two defenders for a 92-88 lead with 42.9 seconds left.
Minnesota improved to 2-0 on a three-game trip.
Derrick Jones Jr. scored 18 points and Bennedict Mathurin added 14 for the Clippers, who struggled from the outset with a season-low 38 points in the first half. Kris Dunn had 11 points for the Clippers (27-31), who have lost three consecutive games for the first time since December.
The Clippers struggled on offense without star Kawhi Leonard, out because of ankle soreness. The Clippers shot 40.5% from the floor, including 18.2% (four for 22) in the second quarter. Minnesota shot 43.4% in the game.
The Timberwolves (37-23) scored just 15 points in the second quarter and still topped the Clippers, who had 11. Minnesota led 44-38 at halftime behind 12 points from DiVincenzo and 11 from Edwards.
The Clippers led by six in the third quarter and were up 68-63 heading into the fourth. Edwards’ drive and reverse layup put the Timberwolves up for good at 76-74 with 7:40 remaining.
The Clippers pulled within one three times in the last 2½ minutes, but Edwards answered each time. He scored the Timberwolves’ last nine points.
Up next for Clippers: vs. New Orleans on Sunday night.
A St. Paul church member has filed a federal lawsuit alleging that a group of individuals, including journalist Don Lemon and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong, unlawfully disrupted service last month as part of a coordinated political demonstration.
The complaint, filed by Ann Doucette in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota, alleges that a Jan. 18 demonstration at Cities Church interfered with her ability to worship and caused her to suffer damages, including emotional distress and trauma.
In addition to the former CNN anchor and Armstrong, the complaint names journalist Georgia Fort and activists Will Kelly, Jerome Richardson, Trahern Crews and Jamael Lundy. It also names St. Paul school board member Chauntyll Allen.
Doucette and seven of the defendants did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Doucette filed the complaint without the representation of an attorney. In an emailed statement to NBC News, Crews denied the lawsuit’s allegations “with empathy and compassion.”
The lawsuit accuses the group of civil conspiracy, aiding and abetting, intentional infliction of emotional distress, interference with religious exercise and trespassing.
“As a result of Defendants’ actions, the worship service was disrupted, congregants experienced fear and distress, and Plaintiff’s ability to freely exercise her religion in a private place of worship was unlawfully interfered with,” the lawsuit states.
All eight defendants are also facing federal charges for conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and for interfering with the exercise of the right of religious freedom. Lemon has pleaded not guilty to all charges, saying outside the court, “I wanted to say this isn’t just about me, this is about all journalists, especially in the United States.”
Fort, Crews and Lundy were released on bond and entered not guilty pleas, according to The Associated Press.
This is the latest legal action tied to protests in the Twin Cities, where tensions remain over the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
According to the lawsuit, the demonstrators engaged in “coordinated conduct” by organizing meetings ahead of the “Operation Pullup” protest and promoting it on social media.
The lawsuit alleges that on the morning of Jan. 18, a coordinated group of individuals entered Cities Church, halting the worship service, and chanting “‘ICE Out!’ and ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot!’” while obstructing aisles. Protesters could allegedly be seen “confronting the pastor and congregants in a menacing manner,” the lawsuit says, noting that their chanting and “aggressive gestures” caused “severe emotional distress, fear, anxiety, and trauma” and caused children “terror.”
Demonstrators gathered at the church because they said its pastor, David Easterwood, was the acting director of an ICE field office in the city, the lawsuit says.
Lemon was arrested in January in California and accused of violating federal civil rights law after covering the protest on Jan. 18. He was released on a personal recognizance bond before a federal grand jury in Minnesota returned the indictment against Lemon and eight co-defendants, all of whom are also named in Doucette’s lawsuit.
In the lawsuit, Doucette alleges that Lemon specifically livestreamed the protest, “noting congregants’ fear and distress, and appeared to take satisfaction in the disruption.”
Levy Armstrong, a Minneapolis-based civil rights attorney and activist, was also arrested for her participation in the St. Paul protest. Her arrest drew national attention after the White House shared on social media doctored photos where she appeared to be crying.
A Hubbard County man was arrested and charged after threatening to kill a Minnesota state senator on Facebook.
Court documents filed on Wednesday state the Minnesota State Patrol were investigating a threat posted by John Tobias saying that he would “kill every one of you treasonous [expletive] immediately” if he did not get money back that he claims he lost during the 2020 COVID shutdown.
Court documents go on to say that Tobias then called the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office asking for something to be done about “Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ‘unconstitutionally’ shutting down the state due to COVID-19.
The Minnesota State Patrol contacted Hubbard County deputies regarding Tobias. Court documents state Hubbard County investigators were already familiar with Tobais after speaking with him regarding similar threats he made in Jan.
The charging documents state that investigators searched Tobias’ residence on Tuesday and found an arsenal of guns and 45 boxes of ammunition.
Tobias was taken into custody. During an interview with law enforcement, Tobias admitted to making the threat on Facebook. He also told investigators that “he did not have any intention of killing anyone, but admitted he was trying to get people’s attention,” according to court records.
In late 2025, Lt. Col. Jeremy Geiger of the Minnesota State Patrol, who oversees Capitol security, told a panel of lawmakers that threats to lawmakers had doubled between 2024 and 2025.
Tobias made his first court appearance Wednesday morning and is expected back in court early next month.
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