None of that is fixed yet, and it shouldn't be treated like it is. Both clubs still have their preseason finales to play, plus a full month of regular-season football — division tests against Green Bay and Detroit for Minnesota, road trips to Detroit and Baltimore for New Orleans — before kickoff here. Whatever shape either roster is in on August 21 is a snapshot, not a preview of who shows up in October.
Minnesota has won 5 straight as of today, capped by a preseason win over the Giants, while New Orleans is 3-2 in its last 5 dating back to last season after dropping its preseason opener to Jacksonville. Neither number means much yet — one is padded by a preseason win, the other by results from a different season entirely — but it's a reminder both franchises are heading into 2026 from very different emotional starting points. This is also a rivalry with some history: Minnesota holds the all-time series edge and has won most of the recent meetings, though New Orleans' lone Super Bowl run famously ran through a Vikings team in the NFC title game.
The injury picture is the thing actually worth tracking between now and Week 5. If Kamara's timeline slides past a month, Travis Etienne likely keeps the bulk of New Orleans' backfield work; if Jordan's hamstring bleeds into the regular season, that's a real hit to a Saints pass rush that's already down Bresee. On Minnesota's side, Christian Darrisaw says his surgically repaired knee feels great in camp, which matters plenty for how much Murray gets hit if he's the one taking snaps. All of it is still moving, which is exactly why this preview leans on matchup and health rather than a record that won't survive the month ahead.