Vikings rookie Caleb Banks slowly figuring it out

EAGAN, Minn. — After playing quite a bit for the Vikings in a 9-3 win over the Chicago Bears, rookie defensive tackle Caleb Banks was asked what he thought of his 36 defensive snaps. He provided an honest assessment, saying, I was surprised I got that many. That s because the No. 18 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft wasn t supposed to play as much as he did. In a perfect world, the Vikings would ve preferred to bring Banks along at a slower pace, giving him time to develop behind the scenes. That plan went out the window as soon as fellow defensive tackle Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins suffered a hip injury that knocked him out of the game. As a result, defensive coordinator Brian Flores called Banks into action, playing him on 48.6% of the defensive snaps. He was thrown into the fire, Flores said. That oftentimes is the way it happens. How did he perform? He played well, Flores said. Now, was it perfect? Not at all. There was certainly a lot to learn from, and i