The Vikings are expected to name Rams OC Kevin O'Connell their new HC, according to multiple reports. The move can't be made official until after the Super Bowl. The 36-year-old O'Connell was a 3rd-round pick of the Patriots back in 2008. He washed out of the league after just 5 seasons and took his first coaching job with the Browns in 2015 under OC John DeFilippo. O'Connell worked for HC Chip Kelly in San Francisco in 2016 before spending the next 3 seasons in Washington, earning the OC title in 2019. He's spent the past 2 seasons as Rams OC, although HC Sean McVay has called the plays.

The Vikings have fired HC Mike Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman, NFL Network reports. It ends an 8-year run for Zimmer and a 16-year run for Spielman in Minnesota. Zimmer's tenure brought just 3 seasons of double-digit wins and 2 playoff victories. We'll see who the Vikings hire to run the show going forward.

Vikings QB Kirk Cousins has been activated from the COVID list. He's expected to start Sunday's finale vs. the Bears, despite Minnesota having nothing to play for. Cousins isn't an exciting fantasy option, but his return is excellent news for WR Justin Jefferson and the rest of the Vikings' skill-position players.

Vikings WR Adam Thielen will miss at least the rest of the regular season after undergoing ankle surgery on Tuesday, according to The Athletic's Chad Graff. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero adds that Thielen is expected to be sidelined for about a month, so Minnesota would need to make a deep playoff run if Thielen is going to play again before the 2022 season. K.J. Osborn will step in as the Vikings' #2 WR -- and WR Justin Jefferson will dominate targets -- for as long as Thielen is out.

Vikings WRs Justin Jefferson (ankle) and Adam Thielen (foot) aren't listed on the final injury report. Both guys got some time off in practice earlier this week but should be ready to play their usual roles vs. the Panthers on Sunday.

Vikings WRs Justin Jefferson (ankle) and Adam Thielen (foot) missed their 2nd straight practices on Thursday. We haven't heard any concern about their availability for this weekend's game vs. the Panthers, but make sure to check back tomorrow afternoon for another update.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson returned to practice on Monday, just 10 days after spraining the AC joint in his shoulder. It sounds like he was limited, but just the fact that he was out there is confirmation that he'll be good to go come Week 1.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson is considered "day-to-day" after hurting his left shoulder in Friday's practice, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. "Tests came out as good as possible," Rapoport adds. "All positive news." It sounds like we should fully expect Jefferson to be ready to go come Week 1.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson suffered a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder in Friday's practice. ESPN’s Adam Schefter cites a source saying the injury is “nothing serious.” Further testing is scheduled for this weekend, though. We'll pass along an update when it's available. For now, we're not moving Jefferson in the WR rankings.

The forecast for today's Vikings-Packers game calls for 25 mph sustained winds with gusts close to 40 mph. The wind is expected to die down a bit throughout the game. Temperatures will be in the 30s with a wind chill in the 20s. Those are tough conditions for the passing and kicking games. We've lowered our passing projections a bit for both teams and would avoid both kickers in this game.

The Falcons have been cleared to re-open their facility after no positive COVID results from Thursday's round of testing, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports. The Atlanta-Minnesota game remains on for Sunday as of now. We'll let you know if that changes.

The Falcons are shutting down their facility after getting back 4 positive COVID tests on Thursday morning, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports. Atlanta's game against the Vikings this weekend is now in question. Stay tuned.

Update: A source tells Schefter that the Falcons had just 1 positive test, and it wasn't a player. That has us a bit more optimistic that this game will happen this week.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson has been working mostly with the 2nd-team offense in camp so far, according to The Athletic's Arif Hasan. "He hasn’t played poorly, but against second-level competition, he should stand out more if he’s to prove to have an immediate rookie impact," Hasan adds. We're not panicking and still expect Jefferson to finish 2nd among Vikings WRs in fantasy points this year. But he might not be a guy we can stick in lineups early on this season. We'll continue to keep an eye on Jefferson's progress.

Vikings WR Justin Jefferson has been removed from the COVID list. The rookie remains the favorite to win the #2 WR job in Minnesota. We'll keep an eye on his development over the next month.

The Vikings have placed 4 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including rookie WR Justin Jefferson. Placement on the list means that a player has either tested positive or been in close contact with an infected person -- and thus faces mandatory quarantine. Teams are not allowed to disclose which category fits a player put on the list. Either way, this situation shouldn't affect Jefferson's availability for the season. We'll certainly keep an eye on the wideout, though, if it's revealed he contracted the virus.

The Vikings selected LSU WR Justin Jefferson with the 22nd overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft — the pick they acquired from the Bills for WR Stefon Diggs. No WR in this class had a more productive 2019. Jefferson’s 111 catches tied for most in the country, he ranked 3rd with 1,540 receiving yards and finished 2nd with 18 TDs. That, of course, came on an LSU offense that led the nation in passing yards and TDs. So Jefferson’s market shares — 26% of the receptions, 26% of the receiving yards and 30% of the TDs — are less impressive. We came away a bit underwhelmed by his tape. Jefferson did a bunch of damage vs. zone coverages but can struggle to separate from man. On the plus side, he’s excellent in tight quarters, leading all draft-eligible WRs with a 92.4% contested-catch rate in 2019, per Pro Football Focus. Jefferson has extensive experience at all WR spots, playing 81% of his snaps on the outside in 2018 and 78% in the slot last year. And he impressed at the Combine, running a 4.43-second 40-yard dash and earning an 82nd percentile SPARQ score at 6’1, 202 pounds. While we wonder how high Jefferson’s fantasy ceiling extends, he looks like 1 of the higher-floor WRs in this class. And he should immediately slide in as Minnesota’s #2 WR, making him a good bet for 2020 fantasy value.