Minnesota Vikings have a few surprise inactives vs. Packers, including multiple NFL Draft picks
The Minnesota Vikings announced their inactives ahead of Sunday’s game and it included three 2026 NFL Draft picks.
The Minnesota Vikings released their inactive list ahead of Sunday’s game against the Green Bay Packers, and it raises a lot of questions about the state of the roster.
- Quarterback J.J. McCarthy
- Running back Demond Claiborne
- Offensive tackle Caleb Tiernan
- Center Nick Samac
- Defensive lineman Elijah Williams
- Cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn
- Safety Jakobe Thomas
J.J. McCarthy’s status as the emergency quarterback
McCarthy is inactive, but also the emergency third-string quarterback on game day. None of that is surprising. Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell made it clear earlier this week that McCarthy would be the No. 3 and that the situation would be reassessed on a week-to-week basis.
What does that mean exactly? It could mean a trade is still in the works, but it also could mean the Vikings want to see how McCarthy grows and develops. If he develops enough, they can elevate him to the QB2 spot. It’s one of the storylines worth monitoring over the next few weeks as Minnesota figures out its quarterback depth chart behind the starter.
3 rookies from the 2026 NFL Draft are inactive
The other interesting element is that three draft picks from this past April are inactive for Week 1. The top names are the two third-round picks, Tiernan and Thomas, but both have been dealing with injuries. Thomas has been battling an illness and was either out or limited in practice all week, and Tiernan has been limited with an ankle injury. Overall, it’s not a surprise about either of those situations.
It shouldn’t be a surprise about Claiborne, either. Claiborne was seen as more of a developmental prospect coming into the league, and when Minnesota elevated DeeJay Dallas to the active roster on Saturday, it sent a strong signal that Claiborne is not ready to play and in my opinion, the preseason proved it. He didn’t even average three yards a carry across the entirety of the preseason, even though the speed was evident at times. He still needs to learn how to better apply that in a football sense, but things do look good as far as a long-term projection.
Elijah Williams is the real surprise
The other big surprise is Williams. He is the last player on the defensive line depth chart, but with defensive lineman Caleb Banks not being someone the Vikings can consistently rely on, and I believed Williams was primed to get a lot of opportunity. Well, that wont happen.
That’s a notable decision from the coaching staff heading into a divisional matchup against Green Bay. The Vikings will need their defensive line rotation to hold up without Williams available, and it puts more pressure on the players ahead of him to deliver against the Packers.
Green Bay Packers inactives
The Packers’ inactives aren’t much of a surprise, other than guard Aaron Banks, who was on the injury report, but it had looked like he was going to play.
