Kevin O’Connell and the Minnesota Vikings got a head start on piecing together their roster for the 2026 season, with the 2025 campaign behind them. The Vikings made a host of deals one day after their season-ending win over the Green Bay Packers.
Among their decisions, Minnesota made sure to retain a former Seattle Seahawks playmaker.
There will be many moves to come, but the Vikings did what they could at this point in the NFL calendar.
Vikings Reach Deals With 8 Players in Roster Shake-Up
GettyJeshaun Jones #82 of the Minnesota Vikings reacts against the Tennessee Titans.
“The Vikings on Monday announced the signing of eight players to reserve/future contracts,” Vikings.com’s Craig Peters wrote on January 5 after the team’s roster shuffle. “The signings retained players who were on Minnesota’s practice squad at the conclusion of the 2025 regular season.”
Minnesota brought back three wide receivers, two offensive linemen, and players from various other position groups in the set of transactions.
Linebacker Josh Ross, offensive linemen Caleb Etienne and Vershon Lee, safety Kahlef Hailassie, tight end Bryson Nesbit, and receivers Dontae Fleming, Jeshaun Jones, and Joaqin Davis all re-signed.
Davis, Fleming, Jones, Lee, and Nesbit all began their careers with the Vikings.
Jones and Lee are the only players among the group who played in the regular season. Etienne (Cincinnati Bengals) and Ross (Seahawks) got their starts elsewhere before joining the Vikings.
Many of these players could find themselves looking for a new team during the offseason, after the Vikings and the rest of the league go through the draft and free agency before adjusting their respective rosters accordingly.
Vikings Urged to Target Telling Position in 2026 Draft
GettyRyan Kelly #78 of the Minnesota Vikings prepares to snap the ball against the Atlanta Falcons.
The Vikings’ roster faces plenty of questions, including at quarterback. However, Week 18 also brought clarity to the Vikings’ draft situation. They will pick 18th overall in the 2026 cycle.
Minnesota could be in a prime position to address another looming need.
“The Vikings have needs at multiple positions from a depth perspective, but center is probably the most acute. Veteran Ryan Kelly, who signed a two-year, $18 million free agent contract in March, sustained three concussions in 2025 and finished the season on injured reserve. It’s hard to imagine him back in 2026,” ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote on January 4.
“It’s far from clear whether backup Michael Jurgens is ready for the full-time job. Guard/tackle Blake Brandel started six of the nine games Kelly missed, in part because Jurgens was dealing with a hamstring injury.”
With all of the issues the Vikings are facing at the top of their roster, getting the back end squared away could prove prudent.
Vikings Get 2026 Schedule Update
GettyMinnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell looks on after his team’s loss against the Seattle Seahawks.
While the Vikings were making some early roster tweaks, their 2026 list of opponents was finalized in Week 18.
“Most of the schedule had been decided before Week 18 because of divisional doubleheaders and rotational matchups, but three 2026 opponents were not finalized until the 2025 regular-season finale,” Peters wrote on January 5.
In addition to their NFC North games, the Vikings will face the entire AFC East and NFC South.
They will also face teams from the AFC South (Indianapolis Colts), NFC East (Washington Commanders), and the NFC West (San Francisco 49ers).
Vikings Agree to Deal With Former Seahawks Playmaker in Roster Shake-Up