Tertius News is an AI-native newsroom: an AI model reads the linked source articles below and extracts what each outlet reported, so you can compare their coverage side by side. How this works →

New information became available — this story may be updated shortly.

Vikings' Kevin O'Connell Offers High Praise for Undrafted Rookie After Preseason Loss

After the Vikings' Week 2 preseason loss to the Ravens, head coach Kevin O'Connell highlighted the performance of undrafted rookie safety Jacob Thomas, who led the team in tackles. Thomas has impressed throughout camp, and with Jamal Adams sidelined for the season, he could earn a roster spot.

By Tertius News AI Desk 2 outlets · 2 articles Version 1 Coverage Aug 22–24, 2026 Published 20h ago

O'Connell's Praise for Thomas

Following the Minnesota Vikings' Week 2 preseason loss to the Baltimore Ravens, head coach Kevin O'Connell singled out undrafted rookie safety Jacob Thomas for his performance. Thomas led the team with six combined tackles and added one pass defense in the game.

O'Connell told reporters after the game: "Really smart. He's really instinctive. He's a great communicator, he's been really good in the deep part of the field." He also noted that Thomas has been "a guy, every single day, it feels like he makes a play at practice."

The coach's comments came amid a game that offered few positives for the Vikings, as reported by Heavy. O'Connell emphasized that Thomas is "taking advantage of his opportunities for sure."

Thomas's Preseason Surge

Thomas's performance against the Ravens continued a strong preseason run. In his first game against the Giants, he recorded an interception, four combined tackles, and a pass defense, according to multiple reports. Sports Illustrated noted that Thomas tied linebacker Jacob Roberts for the team lead in tackles with six in the Ravens game, and also posted an 84.6 Pro Football Focus grade, a pass break-up, and nearly had another interception.

The undrafted free agent has been turning heads throughout training camp, taking first-team reps during a joint practice against the Ravens, facing Lamar Jackson and the first-team offense. Sports Illustrated described Thomas as an "absolute missile" on the field and noted he has been "piecing together an incredibly consistent camp."

Thomas's path to the NFL began at James Madison University, where he walked on before becoming a key starter. Over four seasons from 2022-25, he recorded 199 combined tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 16 pass defenses, five interceptions, and 2.5 sacks, as reported by Heavy.

Opportunity Created by Adams's Injury

Thomas's emergence comes at a crucial time for the Vikings' safety position. Veteran Jamal Adams tore his right quadriceps tendon in Week 1 of the preseason and will miss the entire 2026 season, as reported by both Heavy and Sports Illustrated. This injury has opened up a clearer path for Thomas to make the roster.

The Vikings also face uncertainty at safety with Harrison Smith's status, according to Sports Illustrated. These factors, combined with Thomas's consistent play, have positioned him to potentially earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

SI on Vikings' Jason Harmon has predicted Thomas will make the roster, as noted by Heavy.

Outlook and Next Steps

The Vikings' final preseason game is Friday night at 8 pm CT against the Denver Broncos, according to Heavy. Roster cuts to 53 players are due by 5 pm CT on Sunday, August 30.

If Thomas continues his strong play, he could be on the field when the Vikings open the regular season on Sept. 13 against the Green Bay Packers, as Sports Illustrated suggested.

How each outlet told it

Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 10:15 PM UTC

Framing: The headline focuses solely on the coach's praise for the player; omits the loss and all other game context beyond that. — Optimistic and encouraging, using phrases like 'turning heads' and 'big loss for the Vikings' to frame the injury.

Facts Included:

Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell praised undrafted rookie safety Jacob Thomas in his postgame press conference after a Week 2 preseason loss.
Thomas led the Vikings with six combined tackles and one pass defense in the game.
O'Connell is quoted: "Really smart. He’s really instinctive. He’s a great communicator, he’s been really good in the deep part of the field."
In his preseason debut the previous week, Thomas had an interception, four combined tackles, and a pass defense.
Thomas played college football at James Madison, where he recorded 199 combined tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 16 pass defenses, five interceptions, and 2.5 sacks over four seasons from 2022-25.
The Vikings lost veteran safety Jamal Adams to a torn right quadriceps tendon in Week 1 of the preseason, and he will miss the 2026 season.
SI on Vikings' Jason Harmon predicted Thomas would make the 53-man roster.
The Vikings' final preseason game is against the Denver Broncos on Friday night, with a kickoff time of 8 pm CT.
Roster cuts to 53 players are due by 5 pm CT on Sunday, August 30.

Read the source article →

Sports Illustrated as of Aug 24, 2026, 9:16 PM UTC

Framing: The headline uses a literal 'rising' metaphor to suggest a surge in Thomas's potential and status, linking it to his performance in the upcoming preseason finale. — Effusive and admiring, describing Thomas as an 'absolute missile' and 'seizing opportunity'.

Facts Included:

Undrafted safety Jacob Thomas had a strong performance in the preseason game against the Ravens, tying for the team lead in tackles with six.
Thomas posted an 84.6 Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade for the game, as cited from a source on X (h/t thorku).
He also recorded a pass break-up and narrowly missed an interception against the Ravens.
In the first preseason game against the Giants, Thomas had an interception.
Thomas has been taking first-team reps, including during a joint practice against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens' first-team offense.
Veteran Jamal Adams sustained a season-ending quad injury, opening up the safety position.
The article mentions other Vikings players and their camp performances: cornerback Chuck Demmings, wide receiver Tai Felton, and rusher Demond Claiborne.
Thomas walked on at James Madison University before becoming a key starter.
Thomas could play on Sept. 13 against the Packers if he continues his strong play.

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimThomas led the Vikings with six combined tackles and one pass defense in the Week 2 preseason game against the Ravens.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 10:15 PM UTC, Sports Illustrated as of Aug 24, 2026, 9:16 PM UTC
ClaimKevin O'Connell called Thomas 'really smart,' 'instinctive,' 'a great communicator,' and 'really good in the deep part of the field.'	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 10:15 PM UTC
ClaimIn his first preseason game against the Giants, Thomas had an interception, four combined tackles, and a pass defense.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 10:15 PM UTC, Sports Illustrated as of Aug 24, 2026, 9:16 PM UTC
ClaimThomas played college football at James Madison, recording 199 combined tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 16 pass defenses, five interceptions, and 2.5 sacks over four seasons from 2022 through 2025.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 10:15 PM UTC
ClaimVikings veteran safety Jamal Adams tore his right quadriceps tendon in Week 1 of the preseason and will miss the entire 2026 season.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 10:15 PM UTC, Sports Illustrated as of Aug 24, 2026, 9:16 PM UTC
ClaimSI on Vikings' Jason Harmon predicted Thomas would make the 53-man roster.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 10:15 PM UTC
ClaimThe Vikings' final preseason game is Friday night at 8 pm CT against the Denver Broncos.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 10:15 PM UTC
ClaimRoster cuts to 53 players are due by 5 pm CT on Sunday, August 30.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via Heavy. as of Aug 22, 2026, 10:15 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

2 outlets · 2 articles consulted: Heavy., Sports Illustrated 8 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-24