There Are 4 Key Dates on the Calendar for the Minnesota Vikings (2024)

The offseason has been tumultuous for the Minnesota Vikings, and the roster will look much different in the upcoming 2024 season. Kirk Cousins’ departure opened the door for the organization’s most significant change since he joined the team in 2018, outside of the coaching and front office moves in 2022.

There Are 4 Key Dates on the Calendar for the Minnesota Vikings

The game will return shortly after more than five months without football for Vikings fans. There are four major dates to know.

July 21st

The next time players officially enter TCO Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota, is July 21st. All rookies (and some veterans) report for training camp, while most veterans arrive two days later.

Many training camp practices are open to the public; the first will be on July 27th. The annual night practice will take place on August 5th.

The players prepare for the regular season and compete for roster spots and certain roles in training camp; the most significant camp battle will be held between rookie passer J.J. McCarthy and Sam Darnold. Also intriguing is the contest for the roles in the cornerback group and the jobs behind Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in the receiving room.

August 10th

After spending roughly three weeks in training camp, the Vikings will face their first opponent in the preseason: The Las Vegas Raiders. It will be a home game.

In last year’s preseason opener, first-rounder Jordan Addison showcased his skills with an impressive sideline grab that would be ruled out of bounds. In 2024, McCarthy and fellow first-rounder Dallas Turner could be the main attractions. Most starters will be rested (that was the team’s approach last year), but the roster bubble players will fight for their roster spots.

One example is running back DeWayne McBride, who spent his entire rookie season on the practice squad. If he can show some improvement, he could make the 53-man roster this year. On defense, Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth will be in the spotlight after two underwhelming seasons.

The Cleveland Browns host the Vikings on August 17th, and the purple team travels to Philadelphia to face the Eagles on August 24th.

August 27th

Three days after the final preseason contest, the Vikings, and every other team, must reduce the players on the roster to 53.

The most surprising cuts in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s tenure as the franchise’s general manager came in 2022 when he parted ways with Ihmir Smith-Marsette and Armon Watts. Wideout Smith-Marsette was viewed as the top wideout behind the established big three of Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and K.J. Osborn. He was an effective special teams player in Carolina last year.

Watts, meanwhile, was regarded as the starter on the defensive line next to Harrison Phillips and Dalvin Tomlinson in the new 3-4 defense. The Vikings then acquired Ross Blacklock from the Houston Texans via trade with limited success, while Watts was on two different teams in the last two seasons.

Booth and Cine could be in trouble on that day. At least one of the QBs – Jaren Hall and Nick Mullens – should also receive a phone call from the team.

September 8th

The Vikings open their 2024 campaign with a road game versus the New York Giants on September 8th. It is scheduled to be a noon game.

Minnesota lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023 but pulled off a dominant victory against the Green Bay Packers in 2022. Kevin O’Connell is 1-1 in season openers.

It will be the first matchup against the Giants since the 2022 wild-card contest. Last year, both franchises had to battle injuries to their starting quarterbacks and, therefore, couldn’t replicate the success from 2022.

Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings:@JanikEckardt