Cleveland Browns Will Host Vikings for Joint Practices in 2024
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings have one of the premier training facilities in the NFL right now.
As a result, Minnesota has been a popular destination for NFL teams as they conduct joint practices during training camp in the days prior to preseason games. This past year, for example, both the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans traveled to take part in these practices.
However, the Vikings will be on the move this summer for at least a portion of their joint practice schedule in 2024. On Tuesday, Cleveland Browns general manager, Andrew Berry, announced that the Browns will be hosting the Vikings for joint practices this year.
Cleveland Browns Will Host Vikings for Joint Practices
Take a look at this release from the Browns’ team website:
Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry announced at the NFL Scouting Combine that the Browns will host the Vikings for joint practices.
This will mark the fourth consecutive year that the Browns will rely on joint practices during training camp to evaluate their roster. The two previous years Cleveland held practices with the Eagles. They traveled to Philadelphia in 2023 and hosted the Eagles in 2022 for two practices at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. They also host the Giants in Berea in 2021.
Practice dates will be announced at a later time, as well as the preseason game schedule.
While the Vikings struggled with injuries throughout the 2023 season and failed to make the playoffs, the Browns rode a fantastic defense to an 11-6 record and Wild Card berth. This occurred despite a season-ending injury to star RB Nick Chubb in Week 2 and continued struggles from starting QB Deshaun Watson.
Of course, Cleveland’s season ended in a disappointing playoff loss to the young Houston Texans. However, they remain one of the stronger teams in the NFL and should provide a strong test for the Vikings as they prepare for the start of the 2024 regular season.
The Browns finished the 2023 regular season with the fewest yards allowed, fewest passing yards allowed, 11th-fewest rushing yards allowed, and 13th-fewest points allowed in the NFL. They also had a top-10 scoring offense that was particularly rejuvenated when they brought in veteran QB Joe Flacco to help lead the team.
After starting the season with a 7-5 record, Cleveland rattled off five consecutive wins before a Week 18 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in order to secure the No. 5 seed in the AFC.
Cleveland and Minnesota have very close ties as well. Of course, Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons in Cleveland’s front office, so he is very familiar with Berry and the rest of Cleveland’s leadership.
These joint practices are also an opportunity for the Vikings to get back on the field with some old friends. Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski spent his first 14 years of coaching at the NFL level in Minnesota, and was the quarterbacks coach in 2018 as well as the offensive coordinator in 2019, which happened to be Kirk Cousins’ first two seasons with the Vikings.
Additionally, Za’Darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson remain on the Browns roster, who spent time with the Vikings in recent years before heading to Cleveland during the 2023 offseason.
For now, there are no set dates for these joint practices.
Editor’s Note: Statistics and other information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
Vikings Ranked No. 2 Franchise in NFL by NFLPA Report Cards
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.