The Minnesota Vikings are approaching the deadline to cut their roster down to 53 players, and it should leave some anxious moments in the coming days. Players on the bubble will be waiting for the deadline, which is 3 p.m. CT on Tuesday, to learn their fate. But the worries go up a notch for players tied to former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
Adofo-Mensah’s struggles in the draft to find talent are well-documented and one of the biggest reasons he was fired last January. Of the 28 players selected during his tenure, only nine are currently on the Vikings roster, and if you eliminate the 2025 class, that number goes down to five holdovers in 23 draft picks.
With the Vikings’ current regime seemingly trying to erase everything Adofo-Mensah did wrong (and taking credit for what went right), there could be a few more of his picks on the chopping block in the coming days. But three players should especially be on high alert as it’s time to throw in the towel.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah draft picks the Minnesota Vikings should give up on
J.J. McCarthy - QB
Like anything McCarthy does on the field or says off of it, his future in Minnesota is extremely polarizing. Those who want McCarthy to stay will point to 10 starts as an extremely small sample to throw in the towel. But his critics will note that he was thrown into an infrastructure where every quarterback has succeeded under head coach Kevin O’Connell.
At 23 years old, McCarthy could turn it around and be a solid starting quarterback. But that’s a top-percentile outcome to even be a functional starter. If McCarthy does turn it around, it’s more likely it’s similar to Bryce Young of the Carolina Panthers than Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills, and it’s fair to wonder if the juice is worth the squeeze.
The other thing to consider is that even if McCarthy could succeed in the future, it just feels like it isn’t going to work in Minnesota. His off-target passes and consistency are still problems, and that’s why the Vikings signed Kyler Murray to be their starter this offseason and have McCarthy battling for backup reps along with Carson Wentz.
Even Max Brosmer has gotten more positive publicity than McCarthy has this season, and with some signaling a potential rift behind the scenes, it may be worth parting ways even if that means a minimal return.
Walter Rouse - OL
A sixth-round pick in the 2024 draft, Rouse’s 6-foot-6, 313-pound frame, his 52 collegiate starts at Oklahoma and the IQ that helped him earn a biomechanical engineering degree were a big draw for the Vikings. But entering his third season, it just doesn’t feel like there’s been enough development to keep him around.
Rouse has performed well for the third straight preseason, posting an overall grade of 71.0 in 79 offensive snaps and allowing just one pressure on 54 pass-blocking snaps, according to PFF. But his previous performances with a 69.4 overall grade in 2024 and a 78.5 overall grade in 2025 weren’t enough to earn him playing time on an offensive line that has been in crisis the past two seasons.
The first example came when Christian Darrisaw went down with a multiligament knee injury during the 2024 season. While the Vikings could have plugged the rookie in, they opted to trade for Cam Robinson instead, leaving Rouse to a “redshirt” rookie season to iron out his game.
The second example came last year as Darrisaw was in and out of the lineup and Brian O’Neill suffered an ankle injury during a Week 4 game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Ireland. While Justin Skule was an edge rusher valet as a replacement, he played just 88 offensive snaps during the regular season, allowing a sack and six pressures on 62 pass-blocking snaps.
The final blows came this offseason when the Vikings added Ryan Van Demark in free agency and selected Caleb Tiernan in the third round of the draft. While there was a possibility he could move to guard, all of his preseason snaps were spent at right tackle, and it will likely place him on the chopping block when the deadline rolls around.
Michael Jurgens - C
Jurgens is likely to make the roster as Blake Brandel’s backup. But this is a good time to ask what the Vikings are thinking at the center position.
Brandel is the starter, but has reportedly still struggled with shotgun snaps in the final stages of training camp. Such a flaw would seem to give Jurgens an opportunity to break into the starting lineup, but the Vikings are continuing to roll with the guy who had never played the position until he was thrown into action during a Week 5 win over the Cleveland Browns in London.
It’s also not like Jurgens has played well enough to take the job from him. The seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft “redshirted” next to Rouse in his rookie season, and while he played 309 offensive snaps last season, he was catastrophic in pass protection, allowing four sacks and nine pressures on 177 pass-blocking snaps per PFF.
Jurgens’s performance this preseason hasn’t erased any doubts either. He’s looked better in pass protection, allowing two pressures on 45 pass-blocking snaps. But he still has looked like an average player, posting an overall grade of 50.4 on 73 total offensive snaps.
The Vikings have stated they have confidence in Brandel going into the season. But if the snapping issues continue, they’ll likely look for an alternative. If someone is brought in, someone will have to go, and it’s likely to be Jurgens after giving the Vikings almost nothing in his first two seasons.
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