Vikings UDFA S Jacob Thomas suffers ankle sprain, awaiting scan
The rookie who had carved out a real roster opportunity with a strong camp and preseason went down grabbing his ankle; Kevin O'Connell says they'll get it scanned.
The Vikings' thinnest position just took another hit. Undrafted rookie safety Jacob Thomas, who had put himself in position to make the 53-man roster with a terrific camp and preseason, is dealing with an ankle sprain that the team will get scanned, per Alec Lewis.
Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis): Vikings HC Kevin O'Connell said UDFA rookie S Jacob Thomas has an ankle sprain. Said they'll get it scanned.
Thomas went down grabbing his ankle during Friday night's preseason finale. Lewis called the moment absolutely brutal given how little depth Minnesota has at safety and how much Thomas had carved out an opportunity. The timing is brutal: with cutdown day Sunday, an injury now injects real uncertainty into whether a player who earned a job can actually be kept.
There was already concern at the position earlier in the week. Linebacker Jacob Roberts, another bright preseason story, went down with what looked like a left-knee issue in the same game, and O'Connell noted McCarthy's preseason usage plan. The staff wanted him to start and play into the half but couldn't get him turned over after he practiced Monday and Tuesday and was off Wednesday. For a roster that Lewis says hinges on durability everywhere in 2026, the final exhibition left more questions than answers on the back end.