On Sunday, the Minnesota Vikings reduced their 2026 roster all the way down to 53 players in preparation for the upcoming regular season.
For the most part, many of the guys the Vikings kept on their final 2026 roster were expected. But that doesn't mean there weren't any surprises, because there certainly were, especially in the quarterback room.
Given the fact that there's still about two weeks until Minnesota plays its first game of the regular season, there's a good chance that the roster the team selected on Sunday won't be the same exact one that they enter Week 1 with.
That being said, who were some of the biggest winners and losers from all the decisions the Vikings made in order to create their initial final 53-man roster for the 2026 season?
Minnesota Vikings winners and losers following the selection of the final 53-man roster for the 2026 season
Winner No. 1
Brett Thorson - P
When it came to the Vikings' punting competition this summer, it was about as even as it could get between rookie Brett Thorson and veteran Johnny Hekker.
During the preseason, Thorson punted eight times and Hekker punted nine times, Thorson averaged 47.5 yards per punt and Hekker averaged 48.2, Thorson's average hang time was 4.36 seconds and Hekker's was 4.41, and both punters had exactly five of their kicks land inside the opposing 20-yard line.
With Hekker at 36-years-old and nearing the end of his NFL career, Minnesota went with the younger punter with more upside and the potential to be with the team for a very long time.
Winner No. 2
Jacob Thomas - S
Jacob Thomas was arguably the star of the Vikings' preseason, which is why many were holding their breath when he went down with an ankle injury early in the team's final exhibition matchup this past Friday.
Luckily, Thomas's injury wasn't as severe as it looked, and he could potentially be ready to contribute as soon as Week 1, which is great news for Minnesota since the undrafted rookie safety earned the highest PFF defensive grade in the entire NFL this preseason among players who were on the field for at least 36 snaps.
Winner No. 3
Max Brosmer - QB
Somehow, someway, Max Brosmer and his 64.5 passer rating in the preseason found a way to remain on the Vikings' final roster on Sunday.
No one thought Minnesota was going to keep four quarterbacks, and if they were going to keep three passers, very few thought Brosmer was going to be one of them.
Not sure if the Vikings as a whole should feel like winners for giving Brosmer one of their 53 roster spots, but the former Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback should absolutely feel like a winner after Sunday.
Loser No. 1
Zavier Scott - RB
Last year, Zavier Scott defied the odds and made the Vikings' regular-season roster. Unfortunately for Scott, the same wasn't able to happen for him this year, and a big reason for the outcome had to do with rookie running back Demond Claiborne.
Minnesota used a sixth-round pick to draft Claiborne back in April, and with Nolan Teasley now running things in the front office, the Vikings already appear to be making more of an effort to give their drafted players more time to develop than the previous regime.
With this being the case, Scott was left on the outside despite having a solid training camp and preseason.
Loser No. 2
Isaiahh Loudermilk - DL
Isaiahh Loudermilk had a great preseason with Minnesota, finishing with the team's best PFF run grade and third-best PFF defensive grade.
Despite Loudermilk's impressive performances this summer, once again, the Vikings favored youth over experience when deciding who should get the final spot in their defensive line room, as they ended up giving second-year Elijah Williams (who also had a great preseason) the job instead.
Loser No. 3
Jacob Roberts - ILB
Leaving undrafted rookie linebacker Jacob Roberts off the final 53 was a bit of a head-scratcher, but it might have been out of Minnesota's control since they waived him with an injury designation.
Roberts had a solid preseason for the Vikings this year, with 10 tackles, one interception, and the second-highest PFF defensive grade on the entire team.
If his injury ends up not being something that keeps him out for a while, it will be interesting to see if Minnesota attempts to bring him back at some point this season.
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