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— VikesNow (@VikesNow) August 7, 2026

https://vikesnow.com/training-camp/2026/vikings-running-out-of-time-preseason-2026/

3 Vikings Running Out of Time before the Preseason Begins

The Minnesota Vikings’ first preseason game is on August 15 at the New York Giants – – so eight days away. The club has tunneled through a week and a half of training camp, and some roster implications are already evident, including players who are running out of time to make a splash if they want to make the 53-man roster at the end of the month.

Listed alphabetically, these three players must stand off the page before it’s too late.

Three Vikings Whose Roster Security Is Already Slipping

1. TE3 Job Disappearing for Ben Yurosek

Yurosek clearly had an experience advantage entering training camp, having played 12 games in 2025, whereas Gavin Bartholomew missed his entire rookie season. While Minnesota’s camp coverage indicates both have performed well, external reports suggest Bartholomew is now outperforming Yurosek as a receiver, even making plays up the seam.

Yurosek hasn’t necessarily played badly; it’s more that Bartholomew is finally healthy and starting to resemble the higher-upside player Minnesota originally drafted.

And if Bartholomew feels brand new, it’s because he is. Former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted him in Round 6 in 2025, and due to the aforementioned back injury, he didn’t play at all as a rookie. There’s a world where he’s just plain good or at least rosterable around the TE3 spot.

Of course, the Vikings could keep four tight ends, and Yurosek would be safe, but if the typical three are retained, Bartholomew probably won’t be cut. It won’t be strange if Yurosek lands on the practice squad.

2. Walter Rouse Falls behind New OTs on Depth Chart

In March, Minnesota signed veteran tackle Ryan Van Demark from the Buffalo Bills. He will make the 53-man roster at the end of the month. In April, the Vikings drafted Northwestern tackle Caleb Tiernan in Round 3. He will make the 53-man roster at the end of the month.

The early second-team offensive line included Van Demark, Joe Huber, Michael Jurgens, Henry Byrd, and Tiernan, not Rouse. Additionally, Minnesota chose Blake Brandel at right tackle over Rouse when the starting OTs missed games in 2025. With the official additions of Van Demark and Tiernan (drafted 97th overall), Rouse now faces direct competition from two new players.

SI.com‘s Chris Schad recently noted Rouse’s stakes, “Already 25 years old, time is running out and the Vikings’ additions were a brutal blow to his outlook going into camp.”

A former 6th-round pick in his third year should be climbing toward swing-tackle duty; instead, Minnesota spent the offseason bringing in replacements. If Rouse ever wanted to move to guard, now would be the time, as the Vikings don’t have stellar guard depth. Other than rumors of a switch to guard last summer, there’s no evidence of that actually happening in 2026.

Rouse must cross his fingers and hope the Vikings keep one more extra tackle than usual because Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, Van Demark, and Tiernan are uncuttable.

3. Charles Demmings Is Squeezing Dwight McGlothern off the Depth Chart

McGlothern has made the team two seasons in a row, but he has only played 50 defensive snaps. Meanwhile, rookie Charles Demmings has been one of the biggest and sexiest stories at camp. He has been playing with the first team, broke up a pass against Justin Jefferson, and has shown his worth on special teams.

The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis tweeted on Wednesday, “Vikings rookie CB Chuck Demmings just deflected a pass from Justin Jefferson and went nuts. The guy has been awesome.”

Fifth-rounders are not “supposed” to make this kind of impression this soon, but Demmings just seems to have the special sauce. Newcomer cornerback James Pierre has also played well.

McGlothern used to be the young corner worth developing, but Demmings may have stolen that designation almost overnight. The preseason becomes critical because McGlothern needs to show why Minnesota should keep both. For now, the Vikings’ cornerback depth looks four deep: Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Pierre, and Demmings.

A familiar assignment may await McGlothern based on early training camp returns: the practice squad.

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VikesNow Verdict: Yurosek, Rouse, and McGlothern still have three preseason games to reverse their trajectories, but camp has already complicated each player’s path. None is finished yet, though all three suddenly need gameday evidence that Minnesota should keep them around.