Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell watches minicamp work from the follow area in Eagan. O’Connell continued overseeing offseason preparation as Minnesota evaluated roster battles, quarterback timing, and early set up earlier than coaching camp. June 2026. Obligatory Credit score: YouTube.
As July 4th has handed and the NFL useless interval winds down with groups getting nearer to coaching camp reporting day (for the Vikings—July 26 for rookies, July 28 for vets, first padded follow on August 3), I’m feeling extra anxious for the return of soccer and the Vikings.
The Wild and Wolves playoffs caught our consideration for some time. The Twins have been largely back-of-mind since they unloaded their bullpen final yr on the commerce deadline (though it’s good to see them near .500 with Byron Buxton having an excellent yr, however unhappy to see him on the injured checklist as soon as once more).
Former Vikings GM Reminds Followers The place Minnesota’s Sports activities Consideration Nonetheless Goes
As for the World Cup, I performed soccer in highschool and faculty, and whereas I cherished enjoying the game, I discover it somewhat boring to look at. So I catch a couple of minutes of World Cup motion (unhealthy job towards Belgium by Group USA however Messi-wow, what a participant for Argentina), however I solely watch soccer each 4 years in the course of the World Cup, and I discover FIFA probably the most ridiculous and corrupt sports activities group.
Like most Minnesota sports activities followers (together with many in Iowa and the Dakotas and some western Wisconsinites), I’ve held the Vikings on the high of my checklist of groups I’m enthusiastic about. That was the case for me lengthy earlier than I went to work for the crew within the late-Seventies.
Minnesota Vikings gamers take part in organized crew actions on the TCO Efficiency Heart throughout offseason preparations for the 2026 marketing campaign. On June 4, 2026, in Eagan, Minnesota, coaches and gamers labored by drills and set up durations because the Vikings continued evaluating the roster and constructing towards coaching camp. Obligatory Credit score: YouTube.
I keep in mind enjoying soccer within the entrance yard with my three brothers. On the identical time, we listened to the first-ever Vikings recreation—the monumental 37-13 upset of the mighty George Halas-coached Chicago Bears at outdated Met Stadium on September 17, 1961, when rookie QB Fran Tarkenton got here off the bench to alleviate George Shaw and, scrambling Fran threw 4 landing passes and had a dashing rating within the stunning blowout victory.
Our household had Vikings season tickets on the Met, and I typically went to residence video games. As a teen, I’d sleep till midday on Sundays when the Vikings performed on the street, however I used to be glued to the tube as quickly because the video games kicked off.
Certain, I used to be an enormous Twins fan within the Nineteen Sixties when the crew went to the World Sequence and of their championship years of 1987 and 1991. And we had season tickets to the North Stars earlier than they bolted to Dallas in 1993. I appreciated going to Gopher basketball video games within the Invoice Musselman period. And it was a thrill to attend the first-ever Timberwolves recreation towards Michael Jordan and the mighty Bulls in 1989. Right this moment I like to look at the Lynx play their unselfish crew basketball at such a excessive stage.
However the Vikings at all times have been No. 1 for me and for the overwhelming majority of sports activities followers in our space. That’s apparent from attendance numbers, principally fixed sellouts at Met Stadium, the Metrodome, and now U.S. Financial institution Stadium, and from constantly sturdy TV and radio scores.
With coaching camp now lower than three weeks away, my ideas drift to place battles, clearly starting with Kyler Murray vs. J.J. McCarthy at quarterback and what sort of manufacturing will we see from the 2026 draft class led by the highest three picks—DT Caleb Banks (is he wholesome?), LB Jake Golday and security Jakobe Thomas together with some fascinating later spherical picks akin to CB Charles Demmings and RB Demond Claiborne. And when will we hear from Harrison Smith on his return or retirement?
On this quieter interval, I additionally assume again to my mid-July mindset throughout my Vikings entrance workplace years, when it wasn’t quiet for me as I returned from post-minicamp trip the week after the 4th of July. Early in my profession, I used to be accountable for coaching camp in Mankato.
Throughout this time, I’d be speaking repeatedly with the great employees at Mankato State College (earlier than the school was renamed Minnesota State-Mankato). I’d be working with them on rooming lists within the Gage Corridor dorm, menus for the crew’s three meals per day within the dorm cafeteria, assembly room setup for all place teams and for the offense, protection, and whole crew, and area prep for the follow fields and Blakeslee Stadium.
I used to be additionally accountable for crew journey, and I’d finalize all of the street journey logistics with Northwest Airways, lodges alongside the route, and the crew buses and tools vans we would want.
Jul 26, 2013; Mankato, MN, USA; Minnesota Vikings helmet sits within the grass throughout coaching camp at Minnesota State College. Obligatory Credit score: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports activities.
Apart from the 90-minute drive from my residence to Mankato and sleeping in non-air-conditioned Gage Corridor, I largely loved coaching camp in Mankato (particularly our pickup basketball video games within the fitness center or fast drives to Mankato Nation Membership for a late spherical of golf after the lengthy workday concluded with dinner). However I used to be definitely glad once I joined the Tennessee Titans as crew president and discovered that our coaching camp can be held at our Nashville crew facility, so I’d now not have lengthy drives to camp.
For gamers within the outdated days, coaching camp was a grind, with two-a-day practices, normally in full pads, in the summertime warmth. Happily for our gamers when Bud Grant was head coach, we have been the final crew to open coaching camp (simply 10 days earlier than the primary preseason recreation).
It’s onerous to consider there have been six preseason video games once I began my profession and the starters performed in each recreation besides the finale. Kevin O’Connell and I have been speaking at camp final yr. We agreed that at the moment’s gamers don’t know how good they’ve it with restricted padded practices, shorter practices, and solely three preseason video games in comparison with the norm up to now. Key starters akin to Justin Jefferson normally don’t play in any respect in preseason video games.
Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell watches OTA follow at TCO Efficiency Heart, with June 1 inserting the offseason scene in Eagan, Minnesota, because the crew works by highlights from spring drills. O’Connell oversees timing and set up whereas gamers transfer by follow reps throughout Minnesota’s early summer season preparation window beneath his teaching employees’s route. Obligatory Credit score: YouTube.
So in just some weeks, Vikings followers will likely be exhibiting up for practices on the Vikings’ Eagan facility. They’ll be studying and viewing each day media experiences on the 2026 coaching camp, with September 13 circled on the calendar because the opening-day border battle/division rivalry/probably Kyler Murray debut in Vikings purple towards the Inexperienced Bay Packers. All the things else in our sports activities market will take a again seat as standard.
Subsequent Week: I’ll make my annual pre-training camp game-by-game predictions on the 2026 Vikings season.
Jeff Diamond is a former Vikings GM, former Tennessee Titans President and was chosen NFL Govt of the Yr … Extra about Jeff Diamond
