Vikings Stock Report: Pierre Rises as Mason and Thorson Fall

Vikings Stock Report: Pierre Rises as Mason and Thorson Fall

by

The Minnesota Vikings walked into Detroit with an undefeated record and the sense that this season might finally be different. Instead, the Lions handed Minnesota its first loss of 2026, and the film told a story of missed tackles on defense and a dud of a day on offense. With the Buffalo Bills on deck for Week 9 and the trade deadline to follow, this season is about to become an absolute roller coaster, and the stock of several key players is moving fast. While some Vikings have helped to steady the ship, others are making progress harder, si.com reported.

This Week 9 stock report matters because it reveals who is seeing their stock rise and who might be in for a long season. After eight games, the gap between the players trending up and those trending down could decide who is in for a long season.

Pierre and Van Ginkel Are Climbing

After ranking as Minnesota’s No. 2 cornerback in 2025, Pierre has once again become a Pro Football Focus darling in 2026, earning an impressive 75.9 grade that ranks 12th out of 102 qualifying cornerbacks. Should Isaiah Rodgers be sidelined by an ankle injury that keeps him out of action, Pierre could see a spike in snaps this week against Buffalo—a heavier workload that the Vikings’ defense can easily handle. Pierre has quietly become one of the best offseason additions for Minnesota.

At 32 years old and set to become a free agent next season, Van Ginkel might seem like a risky long-term investment, and while it’s reasonable to expect the drop-off to come, he just keeps defying the odds. He added 2.5 sacks against Detroit, upping his season total to 6.5, good enough for fifth in the NFL. He’s got an interception and a forced fumble already as well. Even with numerous other players needing contracts on the 2027 roster, Minnesota seems certain to re-sign their standout edge rusher for one more season.

Mason and Thorson Are Slipping

Running back Jordan Mason, in his second game back from a thumb injury, managed just 20 yards on eight rushes against Detroit. His 3.9 yards per carry and zero catches in the passing game this year are far from what the Vikings had wanted and needed. Mason is a solid RB2, but it’s becoming clear that Minnesota doesn’t have a running back who moves the needle between him and Aaron Jones Sr. Averaging less than four yards per carry while contributing nothing in the passing attack simply won’t intimidate rival defenses.

Minnesota vikings linebacker andrew van ginkel during an nfl football game against the green bay packers sunday nov in green

He mis-hit a punt badly versus Detroit, and his 44.1-yard average currently sits 28th league-wide this year. Hekker performed only marginally better as the replacement, making it unlikely Minnesota will sign another punter midseason, particularly with the crucial task of holding for kicker Will Reichard pending. The punting position is obviously the smallest concern for Minnesota this season, though new competition should arrive during the offseason.

Who Holds Up When the Bills Arrive?

While Pierre and Van Ginkel are trending up, Mason and Thorson are trending down. As Buffalo looms in Week 9 and the trade deadline approaches, these stock movements highlight who is rising and who is falling.

More on this

Read next