Quarterback Kirk Cousins does not expect to play in the Vikings' preseason finale in Denver on Saturday, and many of his fellow starters will likely join him on the sideline.
Head coach Kevin O'Connell will instead use the final exhibition as the last evaluation for fringe players competing for jobs on the initial 53-man roster, which needs to be set by Tuesday afternoon. The Vikings will head into Week 1 against the Packers having held out nine starters in the preseason, from receiver Justin Jefferson to safety Harrison Smith, while the rest got just eight to 12 reps in the opener in Las Vegas.