The Vikings wrap up training camp with two joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday with the Arizona Cardinals, the last two sessions of the summer open to fans. The teams will then play their preseason finale at noon Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium, which is expected to help settle position battles lower on the depth chart.
Joint practices, like the two against the Titans last week that got quite chippy, are the best opportunity for fans to see the Vikings starters in game-like situations. Here’s what you need to know about this week’s practices against the Cardinals.
Can I go to these practices?
The practices are open to the public, but you should reserve tickets in advance via Ticketmaster. Tickets are free for children 17 and under and season-ticket holders, and are $5 for adults. There will be a limited number of tickets available onsite daily.
What time is practice?
Gates open at 10 a.m. Because of the heat, the Vikings moved up Wednesday’s practice time to 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday’s practice is still scheduled to be from noon–2 p.m., but is subject to change.
Sign up for our Vikings Update newsletter
Who can I expect to see on the Cardinals?
You won’t see quarterback Kyler Murray, who is on the physically unable to perform list after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee in December. Veteran Colt McCoy appears to have the edge for the starting job ahead of rookie Clayton Tune, a fifth-round pick out of Houston.
Other stars like defensive lineman J.J. Watt and receiver DeAndre Hopkins are gone too, with Marquise Brown and Rondale White, who has torched the Vikings the past two seasons, leading the receivers group now. Both teams have big questions marks on the offensive line, with Arizona building around first-round tackle Paris Johnson Jr.
Any familiar faces on the Cardinals?
The Cardinals have a Vikings West vibe in the coaching staff and front office. New head coach Jonathan Gannon, who was the Eagles’ defensive coordinator the past two years, spent four seasons as a defensive assistant for the Vikings from 2014 to 2017. His offensive coordinator Drew Pentzing was a Vikings assistant, mostly working with receivers, from 2014 to 2019. Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis, an Edina High grad and former Gopher, was an assistant in Minnesota from 2018 to 2020. New General Manager Monti Ossenfort, who was interviewed for the Vikings job last year, is from Luverne, Minn., and was a quarterback for the University of Minnesota-Morris.
Among the players, longtime Vikings special teams leader Kris Boyd returns to town after signing with Arizona as a free agent, while former Cardinals starting defenders Byron Murphy Jr. and Jordan Hicks will be in Vikings uniforms for this reunion.
Where do fans park?
Fans driving to TCO Performance Center will be directed to the Northland Ford Dealers parking lot. Parking passes can be bought in advance online for $10. Onsite parking is $20. Tap here for a list of prohibited items.