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[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings Sign Four of Five Draft Picks Ahead of Rookie Mini-Camp

Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Only one remains unsigned

The Minnesota Vikings will start their rookie mini-camp on Friday, and before the latest members of the team take the field, almost all of them will have signed their first NFL contracts.

Late on Thursday, the team announced that they have agreed to terms with wide receiver Tai Felton, defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, linebacker Kobe King, and tight end Grant Bartholomew. Only offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, the team’s first-round pick, remains unsigned, but he will still be participating in this week’s camp.

The Vikings were tied with Atlanta and Washington for the fewest picks in this year’s NFL Draft with five, but they signed nearly 20 undrafted free agents and have a handful of tryout players that they have invited to this weekend’s camp. It would not be surprising to see them sign at least one of those tryout players to the main roster heading into camp.

The rookie mini-camps usually aren’t the source of a lot of other news, but if anything does break we’ll bring it to you as soon as we’re able.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/...ign-four-of-five-draft-picks-rookie-mini-camp

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings Links: Minicamp Is Underway!

Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The offseason practices are on!

Minicamp is going and I do not know if there any televised portions but there are ways to see some of it ...

To watch the Minnesota Vikings’ 2025 rookie minicamp, you can follow the team’s social media channels and watch highlights on their website and YouTube channel. The Vikings will also share content from the NFL Network, NFL+, and NFL Channel, according to their website. You can also find highlights and news coverage on Twitter/X from Vikings media members, says a YouTube video.

https://www.vikings.com/video/2025-rookie-minicamp-practice-highlights

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Minnesota Vikings News and Links

Three storylines to follow at Vikings rookie minicamp this weekend

Will QB1 be there?

First-year players aren’t the only ones who are able to take the field during rookie minicamp. Returning second-year players who weren’t credited with a full season in the previous year are also eligible. Thus, that could potentially include Vikings starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy, whose rookie year ended before it could begin due to a torn meniscus. Ben Goessling of The Star Tribune speculated about that possibility in a segment with KFAN’s Paul Allen earlier this week.

McCarthy has been on the practice field this week with the rest of his teammates to begin phase two of the Vikings’ offseason program. That includes taking plenty of snaps from starting center Ryan Kelly, Kevin O’Connell said on Wednesday.

Which UDFAs will stand out?

O’Connell called Brosmer “a really intriguing undrafted guy” in a recent interview with Rich Eisen.

Will any tryout players make the team?

The Vikings have a couple notable names attending this weekend’s camp. One is Maine WR Montigo Moss, the youngest son of one of the greatest players in franchise (and NFL) history. Another is Nebraska CB Tommi Hill, who drew praise from Travis Hunter last year and was a projected Day 3 pick in the draft.

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J.J. McCarthy not among 51 participants at Vikings rookie minicamp

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3 Observations: 2025 Vikings Rookie Minicamp

Prior to hitting the field in practice jerseys, shorts and helmets, the group heard from Head Coach Kevin O’Connell, a third-round pick of the Patriots in 2008. He wanted the group to appreciate how far each player has made it so far and encourage them.

“I always congratulate them. I want to honor the fact that these guys are going to be wearing Minnesota Vikings helmets and NFL uniforms,” O’Connell said.

The fourth-year coach said he asks the players to think back to a high school, junior high or youth league championship, pointing out how few people progress to this level of football.

“It’s something these guys have been working their whole lives for,” O’Connell said. “But at the same time, two things: it’s just football, and your real journey is actually just beginning. And then I get into a lot of the stories of C.J. Ham or Ivan Pace, or Gabe Murphy, or Bo Richter.

“I think it hits home when you show them a clip of Ivan Pace making an interception at rookie minicamp, and then picking a ball off to seal an explosive 3-nothing win in Vegas a few years ago,” said O’Connell, quipping that he tried to hide the score on the clip he showed the group.

“I want those guys to know that it matters to me, matters to our coaches,” O’Connell added. “They’re going to get the best of what we’ve got to coach them up this weekend, and then we’ll let the chips fall where they may, but don’t have a fear-based outcome of ‘If I don’t do this, then my career is going to be over. I better not drop the ball, or I better not throw an interception.’ That’s not what this weekend is for. Hopefully we can evaluate a little stronger than that to be able to project what these guys can hopefully become.”

1. Familiar faces from a Max to a Moss

This year’s gathering had a couple of interesting connections, including quarterback Max Brosmer, who suited up last fall for the Golden Gophers and joined Minnesota as an undrafted free agent.

O’Connell noted he had observed Brosmer during 2024 and 2025 Minnesota Pro Day workouts and liked several of the mechanics Brosmer implemented with his throws. The coach also appreciated that Brosmer, who had participated in limited meetings was able to make some adjustments on the fly in 7-on-7 activity.

2. Intended and INT pass catchers

Third-round pick Tai Felton showed elements of his game that piqued Minnesota’s interest, even if the action was limited to individual receiver drills and 7-on-7 work.

Felton showed a smooth body control that accompanies his high-speed potential (he was previously clocked in the 40-yard dash at 4.37 seconds) and natural catch ability. He calmly throttled down for an adjustment on one pass and accelerated into another.

Undrafted rookie receiver Silas Bolden showed good strength at the catch point on a pass across the middle. His feet got a little tangled going into the football, but he secured the catch and held on as he toppled.

3. That o-line life

First-round pick Donovan Jackson seemed to live that o-line life of relative anonymity. O’Connell opts to not have rookie minicamps include full-team action out of a spirit of wanting to take care of the players, prevent injuries and have the rookies ready to join the veterans next week.

Jackson and other linemen worked through drills that emphasized hand placement, movement and footwork in what O’Connell jokingly called the “Chris Kuper and Keith Carter Invitational.”

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Kobe King’s Vikings Practice Debut Includes INT & Extra Work

For an hour-and-a-half, the group shuffled through all kinds of positional drills and competed in a 7-on-7 session that pitted quarterbacks and offensive skill players against linebackers, cornerbacks and safeties.

In one sequence, and right after UDFA cornerback Zemaiah Vaughn got his hands on the football, King intercepted a short pass in the hook/curl zone and trotted the other way for his first practice pick six.

It was a welcome sign for a player who prides himself on thwarting the run and is keenly aware he can dial more into his pass assignments. The successful snap, also, didn’t stop King, who realized his NFL dream almost exactly two weeks ago, from doing more.

The sturdy 6-foot-1, 236-pound linebacker pushed his conditioning at the end of practice, getting in additional sprints while some retreated to air conditioning, and thus standing out as an E.W.G. (Extra-Work Guy).

In a chat afterwards with local media, King downplayed his whirlwind of events since getting “the call.”

“I’ve been embracing the process, trusting in my building, my training, you know, it’s a process,” King remarked. “But it ain’t been as rocky as people would expect. It’s been a smooth process for me, really.”

King didn’t seem to be kidding, nor did his fitting in on the field signal an impression of being overwhelmed.

Over two on-field sessions and numerous meetings that make up rookie minicamp, King has a goal to gain trust, something that Minnesota demonstrated it has in him by drafting him – but he wants to grow.

“[My goal is] to go out there, show my teammates and the club that they can trust me, that they can have confidence in me, and just, you know, evolve my pass-game effectiveness,” he said. “I’m very effective in both aspects of the game, but, you know, there’s still areas to improve.

“But I’m a dominant player,” King added, noting his attitude matches his play. “I approach the game the right way. My demeanor is the right way. And when it’s time to be counted on, guys can count on me.”

After the draft, Adofo-Mensah simplified the pick of King: “A lot of times in football we make it harder than it is,” he said, “but it’s a meat-and-potatoes game in some positions, and linebacker is one of them.

“He’s a really physical, knock-back, impact tackler, and we’re excited to add him,” Adofo-Mensah continued, “not just to our fourth-down units but potentially to be a starter one day in this league.”

King said of his mentality: “It looks like hunger. It looks like anger. It looks like the eye of the tiger when you line up against me. It looks like I’m vicious out there. … Sometimes, I take it as disrespect when guys do run the ball my way or when they do pass my way. But when they do, I make an impact on it.”

At Penn State, King’s instincts and downhill compass resulted in 200 tackles (113 solo), 19 for a loss and 4.5 sacks. In Minnesota, he’s off to a good start with coaches and can’t wait to glean their knowledge.

“Man, I feel like they like me, I like them. We’re gonna continue to build that relationship. And you know,” said King before pausing for emphasis and ripping a big smirk, “I’m a Viking now. That’s really it.”

If King’s dominant mindset or E.W.G. habits after his first practice are any indication, there’s tremendous potential for the former Nittany Lion-backer to become the most well-rounded version of himself, yet.

“I made a good play out there,” King reflected on his pick, “but [there] was still some room for me to grow within that play, within that drive; made some mistakes, got past it, grew on it, and learned. So, about to go in and attack the meetings, correct things I need to correct, and come out better tomorrow.”

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Former Gopher Max Brosmer makes strong impression at Vikings rookie camp

Brosmer got up-close-and-personal coaching from O’Connell and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown throughout the day. After many plays, they would watch the video board replaying the rep and then talk about how things were supposed to play out, whether it was a deep completion to former Auburn receiver Robert Lewis or an interception by sixth-round linebacker Kobe King.

“I really enjoyed the talks after every play today,” Brosmer said. “Every time we had a positive play or a negative play, it was always like, ‘hey, let’s talk about it for a second.’ I didn’t realize there are screens out here that replay the play right away because I’m always like, ‘let’s go back to the film room and watch it.’ I get to watch it in real time. That’s a lot of fun especially having someone like KO and coach McCown and [assistant QBs coach Jordan Traylor] talking about the play right after it happens with a new install that we’re doing together. That’s super helpful.”

Brosmer has been on O’Connell’s radar since this time last year. At the 2024 version of Gopher pro day, he had just arrived with the team and they asked if he would be willing to throw to wide receivers at tight ends at the pro day. O’Connell took notice of his arm talent then and watched the Gophers throughout the season before getting another opportunity to study Brosmer again at this year’s pro day.

“He got a chance to throw last year and caught my eye then,” O’Connell said. “Anytime that the Gophers were on TV and I could see it, just watching a lot of the things. And then we spent some time with their coaching staff…sharing ideas and how we do things and some of the ways we teach things, and so there’s some good carryover for things that he’s done during his time with the Gophers. But anytime that I get to a pro day of the same guy two years in a row… I felt pretty good about Max as a thrower when we were able to get him here.”

“I’m like, ‘I’ve gotta buckle in because I’m projected toward the back of the draft,’” Brosmer said. “Going undrafted and coming here, things are supposed to happen for a reason. Coming out of high school I went to New Hampshire a reason and I learned what the reason was through my years there, went to Minnesota and it happened for a reason and now I come back to Minnesota to start my professional career. I’m always looking for the reason that I’m here and the people here are absolutely incredible and I can’t wait to find out what my journey looks like along my path here.”

“Going to play in the Big Ten was a huge help for me, just feeling the energy of a 60,000-person crowd or a 112,000-person crowd and feeling what big-time football feels like and now that I’m at the professional level it’s only going to get to a larger scale from there,” Brosmer said. “There is going to be an adjustment period for everybody here but I think that jump gets a little bit smaller when you play at a higher level.”

“If you do too much and be out of your mind and try to control too much, you get ahead of yourself,” he said. “Letting things happen and they happen for a reason. Whether that’s getting drafted in the third round or getting drafted in the seventh round or going undrafted, there’s a reason that I’m here.”

“I think he had a great first day,” O’Connell said. “Pretty efficient, solid first day, looked like football. That’s always the starting point goal.”

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Kevin O’Connell on Former Gophers QB Max Brosmer, Vikings Tight Ends & Rookie Minicamp Opportunity

Vikings Head Coach Kevin O’Connell described Brosmer as a “pretty efficient thrower.”

“From the standpoint of fundamentals, techniques, his ability to generate some pretty good revolutions and RPMs on the ball with pretty limited movement in the pocket,” O’Connell told Twin Cities media members. “From a standpoint of his high football I.Q., I think it shows up when he can really arrive here, spend a couple hours in meetings, and he’s out there making corrections in the middle of a 7-on-7 walk-through.

“We’re already seeing a lot of things that we really identified in Max to bring him into a quarterbacks room that we’re really excited about, and I think he had a great first day,” he added.

“He got a chance to throw last year and caught my eye then,” O’Connell said. “Anytime that I get to a Pro Day, the same guy two years in a row … I felt pretty good about Max as a thrower.”

Brosmer made several completions throughout the practice — including to tryout Montigo Moss, the son of Vikings Ring of Honor and Pro Football Hall of Fame receiver Randy Moss and Brosmer’s former Coastal Athletic Association conference rival.

“I saw him yesterday during check-in and had make sure I gave him a couple jabs for playing at Maine,” Brosmer quipped. “[We were] 3-0 against the Maine Black Bears; he knew who I was when I walked up and was like, ‘I can’t really say much.’ We have fun with that, and I’m so glad there’s two CAA guys here.”

O’Connell also appreciates giving Moss a chance during rookie minicamp, for a different reason: he and Randy Moss teamed together in New England.

“Hopefully it’s an exciting thing for him and he feels like he can come here and compete and learn — and be around one of the best receiver coaches in the NFL (Keenan McCardell) and see what happens,” O’Connell said. “But no question, that was an awesome thing to see, [him wearing] a Vikings helmet and knowing my personal history with his dad.”

Here are three other takeaways from O’Connell’s conference:

1. Providing opportunity

O’Connell said he’s already talked to the group and pointed to examples like Bo Richter, Gabriel Murphy and Ivan Pace, Jr., all of whom have made the active roster under O’Connell after joining the Vikings as undrafted rookies.

“And then we’ve got even greater stories of guys like C.J. Ham coming in as a tryout and obviously now being one of our captains and foundational guys,” O’Connell said. “So, it’s a special, special weekend kicking off.

“I think it hits home when you show them a clip of Ivan Pace making an interception at rookie minicamp and then picking a ball off to seal an explosive 3-0 win in Vegas a few years ago,” he said. “I tried to hide the score when I showed that clip today, but [this weekend] matters, and I want those guys to know that to matters to me, matters to our coaches.”

2. Goals for Jackson

Rookie minicamp practice is a unique situation for Vikings first-round selection Donovan Jackson, because O’Connell opts against any full-team reps — meaning there isn’t a whole lot of on-field work for Jackson and other offensive or defensive linemen.

So then, what is Minnesota’s coaching staff looking for from those players?

“I’ve been around rookie minicamps where there was full-speed team [work] and a lot of injuries and a lot of guys just fighting to make the team. We don’t do that, but we do get some time together as a full group,” O’Connell said. “And to me … for the O-line, D-line, it’s about them being ready to enter the party Monday with our full team. As we start progressing toward Phase 3 and OTAs and minicamp, there’s a lot of ways those guys can get a lot out of it from a techniques-and-fundamental standpoint.

3. A trio of tight ends

O’Connell was asked about Gavin Bartholomew, whom the Vikings drafted in the sixth round out of Pittsburgh, as well as the transition from college football to the NFL specifically at the tight end position.

“It’s a great question, because really all three of those guys in camp here (Bartholomew, Bryson Nesbit and Ben Yurosek), they’re on our roster — because we only had two going into the draft,” O’Connell said. “So we really identified all three of those guys in different ways, how they would fit with the other two guys we feel so great about, T.J. [Hockenson] and Josh [Oliver].

“You know, Coach [Brian Angelichio] is going to be pushing these guys really hard, because more than likely you’re looking at, you know, the third tight end is in that group, hopefully,” he continued, “and then we hope the other two are pushing right there to either make it a hard decision on keeping four, or [go to] the practice squad and all those things.

“Gavin, you know, it’s always a position that sometimes between the film evaluation, the Pro Day, seeing the tape of it, you just hope they show up and look the way you hope they look,” O’Connell added. “And Gavin definitely did.”

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Field Yates: Vikings made best pick in entire NFL Draft

Field Yates, a respected draft analyst for ESPN with a history in the NFL scouting world, chose Minnesota’s first-round pick as his favorite of the 257 selections made in the entire draft. That’s saying something, as the Vikings made five total draft picks.

Yates raved about Ohio State offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, the star guard who kicked outside to left tackle during the Buckeyes’ run to the 2024 national title. Despite arguably entering the draft with bigger needs on defense, especially in a secondary left thin from free agency, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stood pat and took Jackson with the 24th overall pick.

Not every draft analyst gave the Vikings a passing grade for the decision, but Yates was in the A-plus range in a recent writeup featuring a panel of ESPN experts: “Jackson was 20th overall on my board, as I am extremely bullish on his positional versatility, power, toughness and overall play temperament,” Yates wrote. “The Vikings began this offseason saying they would get their trenches in order and have done it.”

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Note: I like Yates but he is no Chris Simms!

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Vikings Hall of Famer offers to mentor first-round rookie Donovan Jackson

Per Dane Mizutani of the Pioneer Press, Hall of Famer Randall McDaniel plans to offer mentorship to Jackson, who played both guard and left tackle for the Buckeyes during their run to the 2024 national title.

“I will offer that up to him,” McDaniel said of working with Jackson. “If that’s something he’s interested in, I’m more than willing to do that.”

Let’s go out on a limb and assume Jackson will take the all-time great up on that offer.

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One last offseason move for every NFC team

Minnesota Vikings: Add depth at cornerback

The Vikings were active in free agency to replenish their secondary, re-signing Byron Murphy Jr. and bringing in Isaiah Rodgers. Mekhi Blackmon will be tabbed to play an increased role, but the Vikings don’t have much proven depth behind him.

Asante Samuel Jr. is just 25 years old and, despite struggles due to injury in 2024, still maintains a solid grading profile in coverage. Across 2022 and 2023, Samuel posted an 82.0 PFF coverage grade at outside cornerback.

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Randy Moss’ Son Makes Revealing Comments Amid Vikings Buzz

Montigo Moss, a receiver, like his father, out of Maine, is in rookie minicamp with the Vikings, 15 years after the Hall of Famer donned the colors.

Despite a 143-1,692-16 career line and famous lineage, Moss went undrafted.

“To be completely honest, this was my only opportunity. So, I jumped right on it. Regardless if my dad went here or not, they gave me a chance to come prove myself and try out for the team. So, I jumped on it. And my agent called me, and I was almost in tears because I didn’t know what was left for me after this,” Moss told reporters on May 9.

“This was my only opportunity, my only option really to come prove myself,” Moss said of his invite from the Vikings. “So, I jumped out on it.”

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Yore Mock

Trade Recap​

Minnesota Receives:​

2026: Round 1, Pick 21​

2026: Round 4, Pick 121​

Houston Receives:​

2026: Round 1, Pick 18​

...​

Minnesota Receives:​

2026: Round 3, Pick 86​

2026: Round 5, Pick 162​

Los Angeles Receives:​

2026: Round 3, Pick 82​

...​

21. Jermod McCoy CB Tennessee 6’0” 193

50. Jake Slaughter IOL Florida 6’4” 308

86. Jonah Coleman RB Washington 5’9” 229

97. Kamari Ramsey S USC 6’0” 204

118. Lee Hunter DL Texas Tech 6’4” 320

121. Caleb Tiernan OT Northwestern 6’7” 329

162. Trey Moore EDGE Texas 6’3” 245

174. Bryce Boettcher LB Oregon 6’2” 225

232. De’Zhaun Stribling WR Mississippi 6’2” 200

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Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:

• No discussion of politics or religion
• No feeding of the trolls
• Leave the gender hatred at the door
• Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
• Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
• No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
• If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away
• While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/5/10/24427539/max-brosmer-montigo-moss-donovan-jackson

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Can you guess this Vikings d-lineman in today’s in-5 trivia game?

Think you can figure out which Vikings player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Vikings fans! We’re back for another day of the Daily Norseman in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Daily Norseman in-5 game​

If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​

Saturday, May 10, 2025
Friday, May 9, 2025
Thursday, May 8, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Behind the Daily Norseman in-5 instructions​

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Vikings player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/5/11/24427908/sb-nation-vikings-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Can you guess this Vikings specialist in today’s in-5 trivia game?

Think you can figure out which Vikings player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Vikings fans! We’re back for another day of the Daily Norseman in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Daily Norseman in-5 game​

If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​

Friday, May 9, 2025
Thursday, May 8, 2025
Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Behind the Daily Norseman in-5 instructions​

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Vikings player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/5/10/24427397/sb-nation-vikings-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Who Do You Think the Vikings Will Open the 2025 Season Against?

Photo by Kym Illman/Getty Images

And where? And why?

We’ve already learned a bit about the 2025 NFL schedule, with various outlets announcing some of the games they’ll be broadcasting this season and when. The overseas games will be announced on Tuesday morning and we’ll have the full schedule by Wednesday night, but in the meantime, we have a question we want to ask you about our Minnesota Vikings.

There are 14 possible opponents for our favorite football team to face in Week 1 this season. They won’t be facing the Philadelphia Eagles, the Dallas Cowboys, or the Los Angeles Chargers, as all of their Week 1 matchups have already been announced, but there are still plenty of options.

We want to know which game you think the Vikings will start off with. We’ll be listing all of the potential options in the poll below that will close before the final schedule announcement at 7:00 PM Central on Wednesday night.

Personally, I think there’s one matchup that makes a lot of sense, given the teams involved, and there’s an opportunity to put it on in prime time as well. It’s a rematch of one of the best games of last season, as well as an opportunity for one of the teams to showcase a big offseason signing who used to play for the other side.

Yes, I believe that the Vikings’ Week 1 matchup will be on the West Coast, as the league will send them back to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Sam Darnold-led Seattle Seahawks to open the season. I don’t have sources feeding me this or anything like that. . .it’s just a gut feeling that I have. I’ll even go so far as to predict that it will be the back half of a Week 1 Monday Night Football doubleheader. How’s that for specificity?

But that’s just one man’s opinion. We want to know what you folks think the opener will be, so feel free to vote in the poll and sound off in the comments until the schedule drops on Wednesday night!

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/...nnesota-vikings-will-open-2025-season-against

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings’ 2025 Schedule Buzz, Rookie Minicamp Gems, and J.J. McCarthy’s Big Stage

Vikings’ 2025 schedule buzz on The Real Forno Show! J.J. McCarthy set for 4-5 primetime games! Imagined: Week 1 vs. Falcons, Weeks 4-5 abroad vs. Steelers & Browns, Week 17 at Green Bay. Can JJ lead to a Super Bowl? Join the live reveal 5/14! | Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

Join Tyler Forness and Dave Stefano on The Real Forno Show as they preview the Vikings’ 2025 schedule release, discuss J.J. McCarthy’s potential primetime debut, and analyze rookie minicamp standouts Harmon and Williams. Plus, get insights on international matchups and key divisional games in this Vikings 1st & SKOL episode.

The latest The Real Forno Show episode, hosted by Tyler Forness and Dave Stefano on Vikings 1st & SKOL, offers an engaging preview of the Minnesota Vikings’ 2025 NFL season, focusing on the schedule release set for May 14, 2025. The hosts speculate on primetime games featuring rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy, discuss controlled NFL leaks like Week 16 Christmas Day games, and analyze rookie minicamp standouts, including new signings Matt Harmon (edge rusher, Kent State) and Elijah Williams (defensive tackle, Morgan State). Forness highlights the Vikings’ cautious minicamp approach under Kevin O’Connell, while Stefano predicts a bold schedule, including the rumored international games against the Steelers and Browns. With keywords like Minnesota Vikings, J.J. McCarthy, NFL schedule, and rookie minicamp, this episode targets fans searching for 2025 season insights. The hosts’ chemistry and deep analysis make it essential listening for Vikings enthusiasts.

Key Points of the Episode:​

• Schedule Release Preview: The NFL schedule drops May 14, 2025; Forness predicts 4-5 primetime games for the Vikings, driven by McCarthy’s appeal and the team’s 14-win 2024 season.
• Stefano’s Schedule Prediction: Includes Week 1 vs. Falcons, Week 2 Monday Night Football at Seahawks, international games in Weeks 4-5 (Steelers in Dublin, Browns in London), and a Week 17 clash at Green Bay. - Confirmed this morning.
• Rookie Minicamp Insights: Held May 9-10, 2025; Vikings prioritize teaching over intense drills to avoid injuries, per O’Connell’s philosophy.
• Matt Harmon Signing: 6’6” edge rusher from Kent State; injury history but impressive 95th percentile three-cone (6.95 seconds); low production (4 sacks) raises questions.
• Elijah Williams Signing: Morgan State defensive tackle; 33 sacks, 52 tackles for loss at FCS level; 97th percentile short shuttle, compared to Javon Hargrave.
• McCarthy’s Spotlight: National intrigue around McCarthy’s debut fuels primetime predictions; Forness notes a “different vibe” compared to 2024’s Sam Darnold era.
• Schedule Volatility: Forness emphasizes schedules “mean everything and nothing,” citing 2024’s unexpected 5-0 start despite a tough early gauntlet.

Listen:​

Watch:​

Vikings fans, ignite your SKOL spirit with The Real Forno Show on Vikings 1st & SKOL, partnered with Fans First Sports Network! Tyler Forness and Dave Stefano deliver electrifying insights into the 2025 schedule, J.J. McCarthy’s potential, and rookie minicamp stars like Elijah Williams. Will Minnesota dominate primetime and chase a Super Bowl? Join the live schedule release show on May 14 at 7 PM CT on YouTube, subscribe, and ring the bell to stay in the game. Don’t miss out—stream now on Spotify or YouTube and rally for the Vikings! SKOL!

FAN WITH US!!!​

Tyler Forness @TheRealForno of Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL and A to Z Sports @AtoZSportsNFL, with Dave Stefano @Luft_Krigare producing this Vikings 1st & SKOL production, the @RealFornoShow. Podcasts partnered with Fans First Sports Network @FansFirstSN and its NFL feed @FFSN_NFL.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/...kie-minicamp-gems-and-j-j-mccarthys-big-stage

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Your Minnesota Vikings 2025 Schedule Tracker: News, Rumors, and Leaks

Photo by Bruce Yeung/Getty Images

It’s that time of the year!

We are preparing for the release of the 2025 NFL regular season schedule, featuring the Minnesota Vikings and 31 teams that don’t matter as much as the Minnesota Vikings.

The full schedule is set to be released on Wednesday, 14 May, at 7:00 PM Central time on the NFL Network, with select games being released in the two days leading up to the full release. There will undoubtedly be numerous leaks and rumors ahead of that, which is the purpose of what we’re doing right here.

Since this is an odd-numbered year, the Vikings are slated to have eight home games and nine road games. They will have two of their three preseason games at U.S. Bank Stadium.

As a reminder, here are all of the Vikings’ opponents for the 2025 regular season.

Home Games​

• Chicago Bears
• Detroit Lions
• Green Bay Packers
• Philadelphia Eagles
• Washington Commanders
• Baltimore Ravens
• Cincinnati Bengals
• Atlanta Falcons

Road Games​

• Chicago Bears
• Detroit Lions
• Green Bay Packers
• Dallas Cowboys
• New York Giants
• Cleveland Browns (confirmed for London, England in Week 5)
• Pittsburgh Steelers (confirmed for Dublin, Ireland in Week 4)
• Seattle Seahawks
• Los Angeles Chargers

We will be keeping track of any rumors we hear about the Vikings’ schedule as best we can, whether it’s leaks from Vikings’ sources or writers from other teams revealing pieces of other teams’ schedules that directly connect to the Vikings.

Once we have the full schedule on Wednesday night, we will release all of that right here for you.

Be sure to check out the FanDuel Sportsbook, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/...kings-2025-schedule-tracker-news-rumors-leaks

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Report: Vikings to Open Season at Chicago on Monday Night Football

Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images

What do we think, folks?

It appears that we now know where the Minnesota Vikings will be opening their 2025 NFL season. . .and, if the reports are true, they’ll be doing so in prime time.

NFL SCHEDULE NEWS

The Chicago #Bears will host the Minnesota #Vikings on Monday Night Football - Week 1, per sources pic.twitter.com/WjcbdgyzPa

— Ozzy (@OzzyNFL) May 14, 2025​

OzzyNFL on X, an account which has a pretty good handle on everything that’s happening with the schedule, is reporting that the Vikings will open the 2025 season on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field.

If this is true, it will feature a battle between two quarterbacks who were drafted in the top ten in the 2024 NFL Draft in Caleb Williams and J.J. McCarthy. It will also be the head coaching debut of Ben Johnson, who had served as the offensive coordinator in Detroit prior to taking the Bears’ head coaching job this offseason.

This also means there’s no chance of the Vikings having to play a late-season game in Chicago, which is good because the turf at Soldier Field is basically a cow pasture by Thanksgiving, if not earlier.

With the Vikings reportedly opening things up on the road and then heading to Europe for Weeks 4 and 5, I would expect their games in Weeks 2 and 3 to both be at U.S. Bank Stadium, but we’ll see how things shake out.

We’re tracking everything about the Vikings’ schedule on our Schedule Tracker, leading up to the official release at 7:00 PM Central time this evening.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/...season-at-chicago-bears-monday-night-football

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Your Minnesota Vikings 2025 NFL Schedule

Photo by Bob Kupbens/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The whole thing is right here

We finally have the entire Minnesota Vikings 2025 schedule for your viewing pleasure, courtesy of the National Football League.

Without any further ado, here it is!

The Vikings are supposed to have eight home games and nine road games this year, but two of those road games are now neutral-site games because they’ll be played in Europe. The Vikings are now set to be the first team in NFL history to play back-to-back games in different countries.

You can see that, because of those overseas contests, the Vikings will have a very early bye week, as they’ll take their week off upon their return from Europe in Week 6. Anyone who’s followed this site for any length of time knows that I’m not a huge fan of the early bye, but under the circumstances, it doesn’t really seem that there were a whole lot of other options.

The Vikings also have seven “stand alone” games where there won’t be any other games broadcast during the time the purple are on the field, including four of their first five games of the season. This team has a serious opportunity to get everyone’s attention. . .for better or for worse. Hopefully they’ll be able to rise to those occasions and get off to a solid start to their season.

We’ll have plenty on the schedule over the next few days here. In the meantime, let us know what you think!

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/...-nfl-schedule-opponents-times-broadcast-dates

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Thoughts on the Vikings’ 2025-26 Schedule

Get ready for a primetime beast of a schedule

The NFL has released its 2025-26 schedule and has chosen to highlight the Minnesota Vikings with seven primetime/stand-alone games this season, the second-most of any team. In his most recent press conference, Vikings’ quarterback J.J. McCarthy said he feels most comfortable when the lights are brightest and the stage is the biggest, so he’ll get plenty of opportunities under those conditions during the regular season, including four of his first five games.

Every game in the NFL can be considered a tough matchup as the ‘any given Sunday’ mantra often holds true. But objectively this is a much tougher schedule for the Vikings than last year. Mainly that’s because they’re playing the AFC North instead of the AFC South and the NFC East instead of a weaker NFC West last year. Seven of the Vikings’ 14 wins last season came against divisions they don’t play this year.

There just aren’t a lot of “easy” games on the Vikings’ schedule. The Browns in London and the Giants on the road in December are the only two non-division games against teams unlikely to contend for the playoffs this year. It’s better to face weaker teams on the road and save home field advantage for tougher matchups, so having both of those games technically road games is fortunate for the Vikings.

The other thing for the Vikings is that while their schedule is tougher than last season, the same is true for every team in the NFC North. The Lions face the Commanders, Eagles, Bengals, Ravens, and Chiefs on the road outdoors, for example.

The betting market suggests a 9-win season for the Vikings at the moment.

Looking overall at the Vikings’ schedule below, the easy part of the schedule comes before their week six bye. The Vikings have a legitimate shot at being 5-0 going into their bye week and could be favored to win all of those games. The Bengals stand out as the most difficult of the pre-bye-week games, and the only game against a team with a top quarterback.

The Vikings have the advantage in both games overseas, as these are “home” games for the Steelers and Browns, but at a neutral site which favors the Vikings over normal road games, which could’ve been cold weather games in December in both cases.

But the four games after the week six bye week are easily the toughest stretch of the Vikings’ schedule. Three legitimate Super Bowl contenders in the Eagles, Lions, and Ravens and another playoff contender in the LA Chargers. If the Vikings can win all four of those games, they would prove they can win it all.

But the Vikings’ schedule doesn’t really get much easier after week ten either. The Bears at home and the Giants on the road are the two easier games, but even the Bears is still a division game and likely to be close and hard fought. The Packers, at Seattle, Washington and Dallas is no picnic. And then the Lions and Packers to finish the regular season.

Any way you slice it, it’s a beast of a schedule.

The Vikings also have a rest disadvantage week nine against the Lions, week ten against the Ravens, and week 15 against the Cowboys, as all three of those teams play on Thursday night the week before. And while the Vikings have the rest advantage coming off their bye week against the Eagles, the Eagles have a mini-bye week after a Thursday night game so the Vikings’ rest advantage that week is mitigated.

The Vikings travel schedule isn’t too bad. The two games overseas are effectively one for travel purposes as the Vikings will remain in the British Isles in-between games. They have three trips to the coast- LA, Seattle, and New Jersey- but while the trip to LA is on a short week for a Thursday night game, overall the travel is not a big issue or a disadvantage. There also is no road stretch longer than two games, which is good.

Defensively, the Vikings have eleven games against teams with a top 13 or better defense last season in points allowed, but only five against teams with bottom 12 defenses last season. Fortunately for J.J. McCarthy, three of those (Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Cleveland) come in his first five games, which may be helpful in his early development.

Lastly, while the Vikings face only three elite quarterbacks in Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and Jayden Daniels, they face a lot of quarterbacks in the next tier, including Jarod Goff, Justin Herbert, Jalen Hurts, and Dak Prescott. Guys like Michael Penix Jr., Caleb Williams, Jordan Love, and Sam Darnold could potentially be dangerous too.

The Schedule​

Week 1: at Chicago Bears (MNF)​

The Vikings open their season at Soldier Field in primetime Monday Night Football. It’s always better playing at Chicago in September rather than December so that is fortunate for the Vikings. This will be a faceoff of two of the top QBs from the 2024 draft in Caleb Williams and J.J. McCarthy. It will also be former Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s debut as a head coach. And of course it is a division game.

The inevitable comparison between Williams and McCarthy won’t be a fair one as it will be McCarthy’s first game and Williams’ 18th, but if McCarthy looks the better of the two the fear and loathing among the Chicago faithful could ramp up early.

Early games each season are more unpredictable as teams roll out their new plays and schemes, some start faster than others, and with new players that can be hit or miss and are learning a new system, etc. That is even more so with a new coaching staff, as the Bears have this season.

This game will be a tone-setter for the Vikings. A win will build confidence, especially with a young QB at the helm, while a loss will cast a cloud over a tough season ahead.

Bears are early 1.5-point favorites.

Week 2: Atlanta Falcons (SNF)​

Another 2024 draft top QB matchup with McCarthy going up against Michael Penix this time. This is a very winnable game for the Vikings, but also a bit of a tester. The expectation is for a Vikings’ win, so falling short would take the wind out of the Vikings’ sails. Having the home opener on Sunday Night Football should provide an electric atmosphere for J.J. McCarthy and Company.

Vikings are early 4.5-point favorites.

Week 3: Cincinnati Bengals​

This Bengals matchup at home could be a bit like the 49ers game early last season. This is the first team on the Vikings’ schedule that is a legitimate playoff contender, so this is a bit of an early measuring stick for the Vikings’ post-season hopes and overall strength of the team. The Bengals are far from a complete team, but they’ve got elite playmakers offensively in Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Vikings are early 1.5-point favorites.

Overall, these first three games present a reasonable ramp-up opportunity for J.J. McCarthy and the Vikings overall.

Week 4: at Pittsburgh Steelers (Dublin)​

These back-to-back games overseas represent a scheduling advantage for the Vikings. They are both ‘home’ games for the Vikings’ opponents, but at a neutral site instead of playing in Pittsburgh and Cleveland in the winter elements, which could’ve been the case. The Vikings are also undefeated outside the US, so they know how to deal with the travel and time change issues. This is only the Steelers’ second game overseas, so they may have more difficulty making those adjustments.

The Steelers are always a tough team to play against, but in this instance not particularly talented where it matters most. They do have a fearsome defensive front led by T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith and Cam Heyward, but the Vikings have the offensive line to handle that challenge. The Vikings are early 1.5-point favorites.

Week 5: at Cleveland Browns (London)​

The Vikings also have the advantage over the Browns in London because they will have already made the adjustments and have only a short trip from Dublin to London in advance of the game. The Browns are up there with the Giants as the least talented team on the Vikings’ schedule this season, so this should be a game the Vikings win easily. They are early 6.5-point favorites.

Week 6: BYE​

Once again the Vikings have an early bye week, which is less than ideal as it leaves them with a block of three months of mostly tough matchups without a break before the playoffs, but it’s not the end of the world either. Sometimes having an early bye week can help the coaching staff straighten some things out earlier on that can be helpful too.

This will be especially important for a young quarterback in J.J. McCarthy to review his early performance and look for areas to improve. Doing so earlier in the season, particularly if he’s struggling, could be better than having a later bye week.

Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles​

The good thing about the Vikings’ week six bye is that it gives them a week to rest up for the Super Bowl champion Eagles followed on Thursday night with a road game in LA. Overall, if the Vikings sweep their pre-bye-week games, this four-game stretch after their bye-week will preview just how far the Vikings could go in the post-season. The Eagles, Lions, and Ravens are all legitimate Super Bowl contenders, and the Chargers are at least playoff contenders. This is easily the most difficult stretch of the Vikings’ schedule.

The Eagles have a mini-bye in front of this game, as they play on Thursday night in week six, so the Vikings’ rest advantage is mitigated.

But the Vikings also have home field advantage and have been tough against the run the last two seasons, so they could match up relatively well against the Eagles, especially having beefed up their trenches this off-season.

Eagles are early 3-point favorites.

Week 8: at Los Angeles Chargers (TNF)​

Thursday night games on the road are never welcome, and the Vikings didn’t fare particularly well with a mid-season two-game stretch against a tough opponent at home in the Lions followed by a Thursday night game in LA (against the Rams). The Chargers are improving under Jim Harbaugh, but the Vikings have the better roster and good matchups at wide receiver vs. the Chargers’ cornerbacks.

Chargers are early 3-point favorites.

Week 9: at Detroit Lions​

The Lions have their bye week ahead of this matchup, so even though the Vikings will have a mini-bye ahead of this game, the Lions will have the rest advantage.

The Vikings are in better shape defensively and in the trenches to dethrone the Lions for the division crown, and it’s an open question whether the Lions will be as good with two new coordinators, but any way you slice it both Lions games are likely to be key in determining the NFC North division champion.

Lions are early 4.5-point favorites.

Week 10: Baltimore Ravens​

The Ravens have a mini-bye ahead of this game, having played on Thursday night on week nine. Lamar Jackson and the Ravens infamously didn’t have an answer for Brian Flores’ zero-blitz a few years ago, when Flores ran it thirty times. But the Vikings will need to stop the run first, as between King Henry and Lamar the Ravens have a potent ground game.

Defensively, the Ravens don’t have any real weak links, so the Vikings will earn their points.

Ravens are early 3.5-point favorites.

Week 11: Chicago Bears​

The second Bears matchup, while still likely to be a tough and close fought game, is also a bit of a spacer game between two tough four-game stretches. Vikings need to take care of business here.

Vikings are early 2.5-point favorites.

Week 12: at Green Bay Packers​

Weather shouldn’t be an issue at this point in the season in Green Bay, and the Vikings have won the last couple at Lambeau Field and swept the Packers last season. I don’t know that much has changed for the Packers in the off-season to move the needle for them. This is a winnable game for the Vikings and of the kind they need to win if they’re going to make the postseason and make any noise.

Packers are early 3.5-point favorites.

Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks​

The Sam Darnold reunion game. Playing in Seattle is always a tough venue for the road team, but the Vikings were able to come away with a victory there last season. It will be interesting to see what kind of season Darnold has there, but the Seahawks are still building and the Vikings should be a step ahead of them.

Seahawks are early 1.5-point favorites.

Week 14: Washington Commanders​

This is the last of the 2024 draft top quarterback faceoffs, with McCarthy dueling against OROY Jayden Daniels. Daniels skyrocketed to the top tier over the course of his rookie year, something McCarthy is hoping to do this season. The Commanders are solid on offense but still a work in progress defensively.

Commanders are early 1.5-point favorites.

Week 15: at Dallas Cowboys (SNF)​

Dallas also has a mini-bye week ahead of this game, playing on Thursday night week 14.

The Cowboys should be better this season, with Dak Prescott back healthy and the addition of George Pickens, but the Cowboys are going through another overahaul of their coaching staff with a new head coach and coordinators. They didn’t do much to improve their defense in free agency or the draft, which ranked 31st last season, so there is still a lot to be done.

Vikings are early 1.5-point favorites.

Week 16: at New York Giants​

The Giants are rolling with Russell Wilson but at some point may look to rookie Jaxson Dart, but either way their offense is mediocre at best. They’ve built a formidable defensive front with Dexter Lawrence, Abdul Carter, and Brian Burns, but beyond that they’re still not there yet. Weather could be a factor in this game, but anything short of a comfortable win here would be disappointing.

My guess is that the Giants will have been eliminated from playoff contention at this point and so may opt to give Jaxson Dart some starts.

Vikings are early 2.5-point favorites.

Week 17: Detroit Lions (Christmas)​

These last two division games could very well decide the division title. The Lions should be tough, but this is the team the Vikings need to beat to win the division. It’s nice that both of these games are at home.

Lions are early 2.5-point favorites.

Week 18: Green Bay Packers​

I’d be surprised if the Packers were playing for the division title at this point but might possibly be playing for a wild card spot. They might also be eliminated from the postseason at this point. What the Packers situation is may well factor into their motivation in this game. My guess is that this will be a must-win game for the Vikings from either a division or wild card perspective.

Packers are early 1.5-point favorites.

Complete Vikings Schedule with Dates, Times, Media Coverage​

Complete NFL Schedule Grid​

Strength of Schedule Based on Betting Market Implied 2025 Team Win Totals​

Bottom Line​

This is a tough schedule for the Vikings with only a couple of games against potentially easier opponents in the Browns and Giants. For the Vikings to have any chance at the postseason, J.J. McCarthy needs to have one of the best seasons for a young quarterback just starting his career, which is what is assumed going through the schedule above. If he has only an average year or worse, the Vikings aren’t likely to make the postseason or eclipse the .500 mark.

I did a piece recently on expectations for J.J. McCarthy, given his situation with the Vikings and comparing them to other young quarterbacks in good situations in their first year as a starter, and the average results are something close to what Sam Darnold accomplished last season. I doubt the Vikings win 14 games again even if McCarthy does as well as Darnold last season, simply because the Vikings’ schedule is that much harder, but if he is able to match Darnold’s performance or better, the Vikings should be competing for a division title at the end of the season with a chance to do some damage in the playoffs.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/5/15/24430294/thoughts-on-the-vikings-2025-26-schedule

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Can you guess this Vikings defensive end in today’s in-5 trivia game?

Think you can figure out which Vikings player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Minnesota Vikings fans! We’re back for another day of the Daily Norseman in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Daily Norseman in-5 game​

If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​

Thursday, May 15, 2025
Wednesday, May 14, 2025
Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Behind the Daily Norseman in-5 instructions​

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Vikings player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/5/16/24431419/sb-nation-vikings-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

NFC Schedule Insights

NFC North, Primetime, Teams with Biggest SOS Changes

Beyond the Minnesota Vikings schedule for the upcoming season, which I discussed in this piece, there are several interesting tidbits about the NFL schedule and particularly how it relates to the NFC and the NFC North.

Let’s take a closer look.

Primetime/Stand-Alone Games​

The league makes some calculated decisions when it picks which teams play in primetime or stand-alone games. Those decisions largely come down to ratings, as each network that pays big bucks to air the games want a good return on investment and the league also wants to drive viewership and increase its already dominant share when it comes to sports broadcasting.

That translates into the league wanting to showcase the best teams, the best players, and/or the best matchups to drive viewership.

This season five of the six teams with the most standalone/primetime games are in the NFC. They include the Washington Commanders and Dallas Cowboys, who each have eight, followed by the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers, and Detroit Lions who each have seven. The Super Bowl champion Eagles have six, and no other NFC team has more than five. The only AFC team with seven or more standalone games is the Chiefs, with eight.

Looking at the teams with the most standalone games in the NFC, they’re the top three teams in the NFC North and NFC East last season. All were playoff teams last season except the Cowboys. The league may be betting on the Cowboys having a better season this year, which is possible given new coaching and the return of Dak Prescott, but clearly the league is deciding to feature games involving the best teams in the two best divisions in the league.

All of the teams with the most standalone games in the NFC also had top ten offenses last year in points scored, except the Cowboys who may be reasonably expected to improve with Dak Prescott back and the addition of George Pickens. And scoring drives ratings.

With top offenses also comes marquee players and there are plenty among these six teams.

Lastly, the six teams with the most standalone games in the NFC didn’t produce many blowouts when playing one another- the Cowboys being the only exception as they were blown out twice by the Lions and Eagles. And close games is another key factor in driving ratings. About half of these standalone games are these six teams playing each other.

But clearly the league believes that these six teams will be playoff competitive late into the season and produce some of the more entertaining and competitive games, otherwise they wouldn’t have given them as many standalone games.

NFC North Schedule Insights​

Not only do the Vikings have a tougher schedule this year, so does every team in the NFC North. Each team in the NFC North has one of the top ten toughest schedules, ranging from the Lions with the 3rd toughest to the Vikings with the 5th toughest, to the Bears with the 7th toughest, and the Packers with the 10th toughest. There isn’t much difference from the Vikings to the Packers, but the Lions schedule is notably tough.

Detroit Lions Schedule Insights​

Here is the Lions’ road schedule this season:

• at Green Bay
• at Baltimore
• at Cincinnati
• at Kansas City
• at Washington
• at Philadelphia
• at LA Rams
• at Minnesota
• at Chicago

That’s only two road games against non-playoff teams last season, and Cincinnati has Joe Burrow back this season and is likely to be tough too. Even playing in Chicago in the early January deep freeze is no picnic.

The Lions also have by far the toughest schedule in the league over the first 11 weeks:

The Lions, back to health after losing the NFL demolition derby last season, should be tough but the big question is what impact two new coordinators and play callers will have on their season. If they’re slow out of the gate, or even just not strong out of the gate, they could find themselves trying to dig out of a hole later in the season.

Chicago Bears Schedule Insight​

The Bears have the second-toughest schedule through the first eleven weeks, and that could compromise new head coach Ben Johnson’s effort at turning the franchise around. The Bears lost ten of their last eleven games last season- ten straight before beating the Packers in a meaningless week 18 game.

The Bears start against the Vikings, then at Detroit, Dallas, at Las Vegas, then an early bye week. They could be 0-4 going into their bye week, although the Raiders aren’t expected to be all that good. Still, their next four games are at Washington, New Orleans, at Baltimore, at Cincinnati. I see maybe one win there against the Saints. Then a home game against the Giants as a brief reprieve, followed by at Minnesota, Pittsburgh, at Philadelphia, at Green Bay.

At some point, whether 1-3, 2-6, or 3-9 I expect the Bears to begin folding up shop. In theory the Bears should be better this season, but that’s offset by having a tougher schedule.

Green Bay Packers Schedule Insight​

The Packers start with a relatively easy schedule and an early week five bye, but they still face Detroit and Washington and at Dallas in their first four games. But the real problem for the Packers is that starting week ten, well after their bye week, they face only division opponents or playoff teams to finish the season, the one exception a week 11 game at the Giants. And the playoff teams they face are Philadelphia, at Denver, and Baltimore. That’s a tough nine-week stretch.

The Packers were 11-6 last season but 1-5 in the division. They went 8-0 against the AFC South and NFC West, including a win over a depleted Rams team and a Seahawks team that lost Geno Smith halfway through the game. They also beat the Bears once, the Saints and Dolphins.

My point is that the Packers only beat one reasonably healthy playoff team last season and they face a tougher slate of non-division opponents this season that could result in a sub-.500 season if they don’t do better within the division.

Bottom Line on the NFC North​

The NFC North may be the best division top to bottom this season, but I think 11 wins will win the division. That’s simply a reflection of a tougher slate of opponents this season.

NFC East also has a Tough Slate​

The NFC East has a much tougher schedule this season compared to last season. They face the NFC North and the AFC West. For example, the Commanders had the easiest schedule in the league last season but face the 19th toughest this season. Similarly, the Eagles had the fourth easiest schedule last season but have the fourth toughest this season. That could mean that 11 wins may be enough to win the NFC East this season too.

NFC West has the Easiest Slate in the Conference​

On the other hand, the NFC West faces the two worst divisions in the AFC and NFC South this season. That means the NFC West could fare a lot better in the win column than the rest of the divisions in the NFC this season.

The 49ers have the easiest schedule in the league at this point after facing the 5th toughest schedule last season. Arizona and Seattle also have much easier schedules this season. The Rams didn’t benefit as much but remain very much a playoff contender. That means it could be tougher for teams in the NFC East and NFC North to land a wildcard spot.

Strength of Schedule Differential from 2024 to 2025​

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/5/15/24431253/nfc-schedule-insights

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Can you guess this Vikings receiver in today’s in-5 trivia game?

Think you can figure out which Vikings player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Minnesota Vikings fans! We’re back for another day of the Daily Norseman in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Daily Norseman in-5 game​

If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​

Friday, May 16, 2025
Thursday, May 15, 2025
Wednesday, May 14, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Behind the Daily Norseman in-5 instructions​

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Vikings player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/5/17/24432052/sb-nation-vikings-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings Links: Offseason Manscaping

How is your mustache game?

As we slog through the offseason, we look forward to the next organized team activities.

The schedule is ...

OTAs: May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 16-18

Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12

One thing I often do is look to next year and I examine the salary cap. This helps to possibly inform what players I want to watch in college football this year.

The Vikings currently are at negative 38.5M for next season. They do have 14.2M remaining on this year’s cap which some may be carried over.

Season Total Liabilities Team Salary Cap Cap Space​

2025 $269,826,051 $284,053,803 $14,227,752​

2026 $334,072,533 $295,500,000 ($38,572,533)​

2027 $234,455,822 $311,000,000 $76,544,178​

The team is going to have to make some serious adjustments.

It is interesting that they have not touched Brian O’Neill’s contract yet.

He has a 26M cap hit this year which is the highest on the team.

Next year he has a 23.2M cap hit and it would be his last season under contract.

He turns 30 on Sept 15th.

It is very plausible that he could play well until he gets to 33 years old.

Maybe the team is waiting to see how O’Neill performs before offering another extension?

If he does not do as well as they want (for the money he is getting) then they could be looking for another tackle in next year’s draft.

Walter Rouse and Logan Brown are nice prospects but may not ever become starters.

Harrison Smith will be 37 next year and they would have to eat another 7.7M if he is not on the team.

Maybe they do retirement type contract where he has a minimum salary and then they can release post June 1st?

It is going to be difficult to envision much activity in free agency next year.

I could see the team taking a tackle in the first round next year very easily.

The Vikings’ Cap Space is Sinking Faster Than a Boulder in Lake Minnetonka

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Minnesota Vikings News and Links

Vikings’ NFC North title odds get longer as NFL gifts Lions clear edge in 2025 schedule

The Lions will face the NFL’s third-toughest schedule based on combined opponent win percentage from last year, but the league’s schedule makers did Detroit a solid which should give it a clear edge over the Vikings and fellow division counterparts Green Bay and Chicago.

Per NFL analyst Warren Sharp, the Lions will play eight games this season with a “rest edge,” meaning their opponents will have fewer days between games on eight separate occasions. No team in NFL history has played more than six games with a rest edge in a single season, according to Sharp, until the 2025 Lions.

The Vikings, in comparison, will play two games with a rest edge and four at a rest disadvantage in 2025. One of them will be Week 9 at Ford Field against the Lions, who will be coming off a bye in Week 8.

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Kevin O’Connell’s mustache steals the show in Vikings’ behind-the-scenes video

The Minnesota Vikings weren’t all business during the NFL draft. In fact, Kevin O’Connell walked into the draft room on the third day sporting a fake mustache, a joke that appears to have been inspired by general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s impressive ‘stache.

The revelation of O’Connell’s lighter side was part of a 24-minute video featuring behind-the-scenes moments during the draft.

“That looks good, dude,” Adofo-Mensah told O’Connell.

Later in the video, O’Connell is shown on phone call with personnel from an unidentified NFL team.

“Yeah, as long as you guys don’t do something shady on us,” O’Connell said with a laugh before tossing someone’s bag of Doritos in the trash.

“Does anybody else have any trash I need to pick up here? Oh, hold on, let me get that for you,” O’Connell quipped.

The behind-the-scenes video includes parts of the private phone calls the Vikings made to each of their five draft picks: offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, wide receiver Tai Felton, defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, linebacker Kobe King, and tight end Gavin Bartholomew.

“Donovan is a great kid. Awesome to be around. He was up here for top 30 and I think he’s going to fit in the locker room really well,” college scout Jake Essler told the draft room. “He’s big, tough strong. He’s going to fit in really well.”

Ryan Grigson, Minnesota’s senior vice president of player personnel, also raved about Jackson.

“He’s wired right. Sarted 40 games in the Big Ten. He’s played tackle, he’s played guard, and he’s produced at a high level,” Grigson said.

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Big playoff changes could come as NFL owners meet in Minnesota next week

While at Minnesota Vikings headquarters — TCO Performance Center — Tuesday and Wednesday next week, owners will vote on a playoff seeding proposal from the Detroit Lions. If approved, the proposal would see four division winners and three wild-card teams make the playoffs in each conference, but all seven would be seeded by record.

Under the current format, which has stood since the NFL-AFL merger in 1966, division winners are awarded the top seeds, with the wild-card spots going to non-division winners with the best records.

Had such a format been in place last season, the Minnesota Vikings, who went 14-3, would’ve been the No. 3 seed rather than the No. 5 seed. They would’ve hosted a first-round game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Instead, they had to go on the road and they were obliterated by the Los Angeles Rams, who snuck into the playoffs by winning the NFC West with a 10-7 record.

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49ers extension of Brock Purdy is stark reminder why Vikings bet on J.J. McCarthy

Ultimately, the Vikings chose to move on from Cousins, absorbing $28.5 million in dead salary cap in the process. It was a move the Vikings wanted to make for flexibility purposes, and it gave them a ton this offseason, which they used to beef up the trenches

One of the reasons that the Vikings didn’t want to pay Cousins long-term was they weren’t getting elite play out of him while paying elite money. It was a gutsy move to enter the NFL Draft without a proven option at quarterback, but Sam Darnold hit in a big way and they picked J.J. McCarthy in the process.

They got a nice reminder of how why they chose to move on from Cousins on Friday when the San Francisco 49ers signed quarterback Brock Purdy to a massive extension.

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Yore Way Too Early 2026 Mock

Trade Recap​

Minnesota Receives: 2026: Round 1, Pick 15, 2026: Round 7, Pick 218​

Dallas Receives: 2026: Round 1, Pick 18, 2026: Round 4, Pick 118​

...​

Minnesota Receives: 2026: Round 2, Pick 52, 2026: Round 6, Pick 213​

Houston Receives: 2026: Round 2, Pick 50​

...​

15. Caleb Downs S Ohio State 6’0” 205

52. Gennings Dunker OT Iowa 6’5” 316

82. Zxavian Harris DL Mississippi 6’7” 320

97. Josh Moten CB Marshall 6’0” 164

174. Jonah Coleman RB Washington 5’9” 227

213. Dane Key WR Nebraska 6’3” 209

218. Ricardo Hallman CB Wisconsin 5’10” 185

232. Da’Shawn Womack EDGE Mississippi 6’5” 260

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Again, we all know the rules, but in case someone is new:

• No discussion of politics or religion
• No feeding of the trolls
• Leave the gender hatred at the door
• Keep the bad language to a minimum (using the spoiler tags, if you must)
• Speaking of which, if discussing a newer show or movie, please use spoiler tags
• No pictures that could get someone fired or in serious trouble with their employer
• If you can’t disagree in a civil manner, feel free to go away
• While navigating the open thread, just assume it’s sarcasm

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/5/17/24432232/brian-oneill-justin-jefferson-harrison-smith

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Can you guess this Vikings linebacker in today’s in-5 trivia game?

Think you can figure out which Vikings player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Minnesota Vikings fans! We’re back for another day of the Daily Norseman in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Daily Norseman in-5 game​

If you can’t see the game due to Apple News or another service, click this game article.

Previous games​

Saturday, May 17, 2025
Friday, May 16, 2025
Thursday, May 15, 2025

Play more SB Nation in-5 trivia games​

NFL in-5
MLB in-5
MMA in-5

Behind the Daily Norseman in-5 instructions​

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Vikings player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/5/18/24432508/sb-nation-vikings-daily-trivia-in-5

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings Land One Player on All-PFF Team

Photo by David Sherman/Getty Images

And it might not be a player you immediately think of

We’re into the throes of the offseason, folks, and we’re still about two months away from the start of training camp, so a lot of what we’re going to be talking about between now and then has to do with what other people are saying about the Minnesota Vikings. To that end, we’ve found one recent entry from a prominent analysis site that’s a bit of a head-scratcher.

Pro Football Focus has put together their “All-PFF” team, which they label as “The NFL’s Best Players of the Past 25 years.” If I were to tell you that only one member of the Minnesota Vikings had been named to the team, even as an Honorable Mention, who would you assume it was?

Adrian Peterson? Nope.

Jared Allen? Sorry.

Harrison Smith? Try again.

Well, surely it’s Randy Moss, right? No, it isn’t him, either.

The only Viking who made a team comprised of the best NFL players of the past quarter century is. . .Antoine Winfield.

Winfield’s NFL career began in 1999, though even his seven remaining seasons in the PFF era yielded one of the best career marks of all time. He was among the 10 highest-graded players for his position in five out of seven years, and the top-graded player at his position three times between 2006 and when he retired in 2012.

While Winfield owns a top-10 PFF coverage grade all time (92.3), where he’s unique on this list of cornerbacks is that he also owns the best PFF run-defense grade (94.7) out of 355 qualifiers at the position since 2006. Winfield’s 107 run defense stops are tied for the second most of all time among cornerbacks, while his 2.47-yard average depth of tackle against the run ranks as the best mark among 137 qualifiers since 2006.

I’m as big a Winfield fan as you’ll find, and it’s nice to see him get some recognition on a team like this. However, the team as a whole is a pretty solid example of why this sort of analysis is a little tough to understand at times.

I’m going to focus on Moss’ exclusion here because. . .well, because it’s ridiculous. Randy Moss was a first-ballot Hall of Famer. That alone gets him on a list of the best players of the past quarter century, or at least it should. However, because this is based on PFF grades, he doesn’t make the cut. Heck, he doesn’t even get an Honorable Mention.

The three wide receivers who did make the cut were Julio Jones, Antonio Brown, and Tyreek Hill, with Calvin Johnson getting the Honorable Mention spot. First off, Calvin Johnson was/is better than the three guys who made the team, and Moss was/is above him on the hierarchy, so we’re already into weird territory here. I’m not saying that Jones, Brown, and Hill aren’t great wide receivers, or weren’t in their time. But none of those three guys are on Randy Moss’ level.

As we usually say when we cite Pro Football Focus for stuff, a lot of their numbers are guidance, not gospel. No matter what grading system you use, if Randy Moss isn’t on your short list of the best wide receivers of the past 25 years, your system probably needs to be revisited.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/...land-one-player-all-pff-team-antoine-winfield

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Doubters Gonna Doubt

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

The second installment in my Season of Gratitude series. Don’t believe everything you see on TV.

Remember How We Got Here​

It’s more than a feeling. It’s something deeper, something guttural and instinctual. Deep inside the core of your soul. The fire that burns for the Minnesota Vikings. The heartbreaking losses are ingrained in us Vikings fans, like an inescapable gene. Year after year we always fall short. Year after year we get our hopes up. There’s always next year. Year after year after year after year...

When listening to a Minnesota Vikings fan, one often hears the phrase “I’m ready to get hurt again.” Well guess what, I won’t get hurt again, I can’t. Not because I believe that the Vikings will go undefeated for the next 10 seasons, winning each Super Bowl consecutively (which frankly, is the outcome we’ve earned over the decades). It’s because that hurt is something I live with every day. It walks beside me. It lives in the shadows of my mind. I am so accustomed to that feeling of pure despair, anguish, and misery that comes from the inevitable Vikings’ collapse, from the years of torment, that the pain is irrelevant.

Don’t be mistaken. This does not mean that I have, by any means, given up on this team. What it means is that I will cheer for them week in and week out. I will have high expectations of the 2025 Minnesota Vikings; expectations that this can be the best team in the NFL and can prove it on the field all the way to Santa Clara. What I won’t do, is let a Vikings loss ruin my day. I am done mourning. I will skip past all phases of the Skol grief cycle and live in the world of acceptance. I will continue to be grateful that I wake up with air in my lungs and the knowledge that the best is yet to come for the Minnesota Vikings.

We are in the time of the preseason where everything is conjecture. It’s all on paper and everyone’s analysis is an opinion. The Minnesota Vikings look great on paper, and that is the framework from within I will operate until the first snap of the regular season takes place. This is the second segment in my series: Season of Gratitude, where I showcase the many things about the Minnesota Vikings, for which I am grateful.

Reason #9: The Doubters​

I believe the tide is turning. We have rebuilt our warships over the years, each time stronger, and we are finally ready to conquer the NFL. It has been over six decades of soul, sweat, and tears bleeding for our forlorn franchise. The national media has always underestimated the Minnesota Vikings, perhaps rightfully so. What has this franchise done to ever prove the haters wrong? Sure we have had some great runs and have played in multiple conference championships and super bowls, but have never finished our story. Then why bother, right? If this team always comes up short and we know it, why should we care? What’s the point? What’s different about this year? Everything.

It’s always going to be the same old Vikings.... Wrong! ​

J.J. McCarthy is here. He is the present and the future. He is going to turn heads in the 2025 NFL season and he will help lead this team on a deep playoff run and contend for a Super Bowl. For the next 10-15 years, the Minnesota Vikings will be one of those teams that you just can’t count out no matter what happens in the regular season. It is now or never. Time for this franchise to be perennial Super Bowl contenders who just need to get hot at the right time. This is the train that I am aboard. There’s still room, but you’d better jump on while you can. One doubter that I know for sure is going to miss this train is Colin Cowherd.

Cowherd is probably one of the most polarizing sports analysts out there. He has convictions in his takes, no matter how unsubstantiated or flat out wrong they may be. Recently on his talk show, he voiced the following concerns about J.J. McCarthy:

“Nobody knows what J.J. McCarthy is. I’m a skeptic.”

“He played for a college team known for run game, and defense.”

“He wasn’t asked to win games, he was asked to not lose them.”

“He’s got a modest arm.”

“He’s marginally athletic.”

I have a question for you Colin. Do you live in reality with the rest of us? In Cowherd’s defense, he covers a lot of different sports and talks about so many different teams. He doesn’t have his finger on the pulse of the entire NFC North, let alone the Vikings. Much like me, his takes are all based on conjecture. Let me address these criticisms one at a time.

“Nobody knows what J.J. McCarthy is. I’m a skeptic.”​

Not much substance here. Logically, this statement is true as we have not seen McCarthy play in a Vikings uniform, with the exception of the most wonderful half plus of preseason football I have ever witnessed. You can literally have this take about any rookie player in history, so I think it’s a lazy one, personally. The truth is, we have an idea of what McCarthy is: a player with a championship pedigree, intense work ethic, and incredible potential. He is someone who shows up every day trying to get better. The last thing he said to Kevin O’Connell when he met with Vikings staff during the combine was: “I just want to say I’d run through a brick wall for you.” He wanted to come to this team and is willing to do whatever it takes to win football games. He means business.

“He played for a college team known for run game, and defense.”​

So what? Would you rather he played for a team known for losing? The way I interpret this, is that he is a question mark because played for a good team. He has seen first hand what it takes to win. Would playing for a team known for throwing the ball 50 times a game and giving up a ton of points make him a better quarterback, or just make that a bad team? Here is an analogy: your first job is at a toxic workplace. You learn how to work within that broken system and an environment that is not conducive to success. After learning the skills for the role, you want something more and find a new job in a functioning environment that is loaded with high performers. Suddenly, you find yourself in a position where you are improperly trained and struggle to simply keep up with expectations, as everyone is lightyears ahead of you with similar amounts of experience. Now, compare this situation to if you start out in a positive work environment. You see how a team is supposed to function properly so you know what it takes to be successful. You have a manager who helps you actualize your skills and teaches you how to properly do your job. Which would you rather have? Which is going to lead to higher levels of achievement? RIDDLE ME THAT, COLIN!!!

“He’s got a modest arm.”​

61 MPH. That’s all I’m going to say.

“He’s marginally athletic.”​

Again, somewhat inane analysis by Cowherd. What do you mean by marginally athletic? Who are you comparing him to? If you watch college tape on McCarthy, you see time and again different athletic scrambles outside of the pocket that end with an absolute laser to a wider receiver. He is not as athletically gifted as Jayden Daniels or Caleb Williams, but he can make athletic plays that will translate at the NFL level. He is not a perfect player, but he has room to grow and can be an elite NFL QB. This is all conjecture on my part, but watch some game film and form your own opinions.

The Final Word, Ya Herd? (Terrible pun, I am so sorry).​

Warning: this section may contain rambling. If you want to be a sheep, go ahead and listen to Colin CowHERD. You can listen to him prattle on about how people are overhyping J.J. McCarthy and that his only redeemable quality is playing with a chip on his shoulder. “You always have a good team. You don’t have to play well to win” -Colin Clownherd. God forbid the Vikings have a good team. And newsflash, Colin: in the NFL, every single player needs to play well, or else they don’t get to stay on the team. McCarthy is going to essentially be a redshirt freshman this season. He shouldn’t have to be Superman. Plenty of teams are successful with competent quarterback play and I believe that is Jonathan James McCarthy’s floor. His ceiling is the G.O.A.T. Again conjecture, but I believe it. Go ahead, try to prove me wrong. Ya can’t!!!

In the NFL, “you trail a lot. You need to bring your team back. J.J. McCarthy has never done it.” Just because someone hasn’t done something before, doesn’t mean they can’t!!! I mean, come on. I didn’t know how to tie my own shoes, UNTIL I HAD TO TIE MY OWN SHOES!!! McCarthy is more than capable of a comeback win or performing in the clutch. Ask any Michigan fan, and they will tell you that McCarthy can straight up ball out. He shows up at the most pivotal moments where he needs to be at his best. He is on one of the best rosters in the league and has a head coach guru/magician that got this team to 14 wins with Sam Freakin’ Darnold! J.J. and Sam are obviously different players, and Darnold has seen his fair share of NFL action, but you can’t sit there and tell me that this offense didn’t improve overall this offseason.

The NFL is the ultimate team sport. J.J. needs to take care of the ball, make smart decisions, and grip and rip it when the opportunity presents itself. Will there be growing pains? Sure. However, a person can learn a lot in 18 weeks. Every moment that J.J. McCarthy is on a practice field or in an NFL game, is an opportunity for him to learn and improve. Don’t forget, he’s just a kid. He is only 22 years old, and will be until January of 2026. He is impressionable and malleable. He has amazing veteran leadership around him with Jetts, Ryan Kelly, Christian Darrisaw, and Aaron Jones etc. and an NFL coach of the year award winner. He is going to be fine, regardless of what the national media say, especially Colin CowNERD. Ok, last one. I am sure Colin is a great human in real life. I just strongly disagree with his takes sometimes.

Now it’s out of my system. The doubters are white noise. I use them like my sound machine because they put me to sleep. We will come across so much Vikings slander for the rest of lives that it is better to just let it roll right past us. Let them talk. Let them rank us as 4th in the NFC North. Let them believe that just because the Packers are young, that somehow makes them good and better than us. It’s possible to be young and bad at football. Let them think the Bears can sweep the Vikings. Let them think the Lions are the Kings in the North. Let the doubters doubt, let the haters hate. We got ‘em right where we want ‘em. Let them have their false sense of security. We’ll be ready, waiting to take the NFL by surprise. We just have to continue to believe. No matter how tough it gets, or how bad it looks, we need to keep going. We have made it this far. We are so close, we just need to visualize success. Reinforce your belief in this team as part of your morning routine. Be like our franchise quarterback and brush your teeth with your non-dominant hand and manifest a championship.

Until next time.

-Jesse M

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/...s-gonna-doubt-minnesota-vikings-colin-cowherd

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings to Hold Joint Practices with Patriots Ahead of Preseason Game

Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images

As we thought would happen

As they’ve done frequently in recent years, the Minnesota Vikings will have some joint practice sessions with a preseason opponent ahead of an exhibition contest between them.

The New England Patriots are coming to town for Week 2 of this year’s preseason, and the Vikings have announced that the two teams will have joint practice sessions together in Eagan ahead of their game at U.S. Bank Stadium on Saturday, 16 August.

We passed along the news back in March that the Patriots had reached out to the Vikings about the possibility of joint practices this preseason. These practices will come right around the time of the preseason when guys get sick of hitting their teammates and want to hit someone else, and that generally seems to lead to some interesting interactions.

The game with the Patriots will be the second of the Vikings’ two home preseason contests this season. They’ll host the Houston Texans in their first exhibition game on Saturday, 9 August, and they’ll finish the preseason at Nissan Stadium in Nashville against the Tennessee Titans on Friday, 22 August. That game against the Titans will be a nationally featured preseason game that will be aired on CBS.

Hopefully, these joint practices will go better than last year’s joint practices in Cleveland did. Multiple Vikings suffered injuries in those practices, including Jordan Addison getting carted off the field with an ankle injury.

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/...practices-new-england-patriots-preseason-game

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Trial by Fire: J.J. McCarthy Faces One of NFL’s Toughest Schedule

Two Old Bloggers predict a fiery 2025 for J.J. McCarthy! Facing top QBs like Burrow, Lamar, and Love, plus a brutal Vikings schedule with two European games, it’s sink or swim for the young starter. Will he shine or burn? Tune in for spicy takes! | Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

NFL screws Vikings with 2025 schedule? J.J. McCarthy faces elite QBs & 2-week Europe trip! Caleb Williams wanted MN? Join Two Old Bloggers for spicy takes on Vikings’ playoff push!

After recording on Monday night instead of Sunday, Darren Campbell and Dave Stefano on Two Old Bloggers, dissect the Minnesota Vikings’ tough 2025 NFL schedule. Is it a setup or a chance for J.J. McCarthy to shine? From a two-week European trip to elite QB matchups, we cover it all. Plus, Caleb Williams’ bombshell, Donovan Jackson’s signing, and rookie mini-camp news.

Episode Key Points:​

Schedule Overview:

• Fifth-toughest schedule (.557 opponent win percentage)
• Seven primetime games, two Thursday nights, heavy late-season road schedule
• First back-to-back overseas games in two separate countries: Dublin (Sept. 28) and London (Oct. 5)

McCarthy’s Challenge:

• Faces elite QBs including Burrow, Jackson, Goff, and Hurts
• Week 1 primetime debut in Chicago, inheriting 14-3 team
• Projected strong 4-1 or 5-0 start

European Games:

• 2-0 European record under O’Connell; favorable neutral venues
• Greenard tweets “SMH” about travel schedule
• London-based operations to manage travel impact

Team Updates:

• Williams wanted Vikings, creates Bears opener drama
• All 2025 draft picks signed
• Two rookie signings from mini-camp, Williams shows promise

Season Outlook:

• Projected 12-5/13-4 record (hopefully)
• Split series with division rivals
• Tough schedule could aid playoff preparation

Listen:​

Watch:​

Two Old Bloggers is your go-to for passionate, in-depth Vikings talk. Darren Campbell and Dave Stefano break down the 2025 schedule’s challenges and J.J. McCarthy’s epic rookie journey with unrivaled energy. Will the Vikings turn a tough slate into playoff glory? Can they capitalize on Caleb Williams’ drama and dominate the NFC North? Tune in to find out! Subscribe to Vikings 1st & SKOL, join the Fans First Sports Network, and share your SKOL spirit in the comments. Let’s cheer the Purple and Gold to victory!

Fan With Us!​

We have your Minnesota Vikings talk amongst the Two Old Bloggers, Darren @KickassblogVike, and Dave @Luft_Krigare. Join the conversation! Fan with us at Vikings 1st & SKOL @Vikings1stSKOL and with our podcast partner Fans First Sports Network @FansFirstSN and Fans First Sports Network’s NFL feed @FFSN_NFL where you get sports takes for the fan, from the fan!

Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/...-mccarthy-faces-one-of-nfls-toughest-schedule

 

[Minnesota Vikings]

Vikings Links: Owners Meetings Underway

Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images

What rules changes should they adopt?

The NFL owners are meeting today and tomorrow. There are some proposed rule changes that they will be voting on. What rule change would you like to see instituted?

I think they should review face mask and pass interference calls always. Perhaps the signal would first have to come from “upstairs”? Then, the ref can go check it out real quick.

NFL owners set to vote on tush push ban and new playoff format: Four things to know from league meeting

Playoff format could be changing

The NFL revealed the details of this proposal on Monday night. Under the proposed rule, seven teams in each conference will make the playoffs with four division champions and three wild-card teams. However, the big change is that the teams will be seeded by who has the best record. Under this proposal, a wild-card team could be seeded ahead of a division winner if the wild-card team has a better record. This means there’s a chance that division winners could be playing road games in the wild-card round, which isn’t possible under the current format. If this proposal would have been in place in 2024, the playoffs would have looked much different, especially in the NFC, where five of the seven teams would have been a different seed than what they ended up being under the current format.

From our folks at NFL Research, this is how the seeding would’ve looked for this past postseason under the #Lions’ new proposal to seed by record. So AFC Wild Card weekend would’ve been similar (LAC home vs HOU though) but NFC would’ve been:

LAR at PHI
TB at MIN
GB at WAS pic.twitter.com/0nAvVivtLb

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 19, 2025

...

Tush push could be banned

The NFL owners decided not to vote on this in March, because the language in the rule proposal wasn’t clear, but now, the proposal has been slightly tweaked and it seems that there’s at least a chance that this could pass. Since the NFL’s inception in 1920 through 2005, the league had a rule in place that banned players from pushing or pulling a runner in any direction and that’s essentially what his new proposal calls for. The rule specifically states that no teammate can “push or pull a runner in any direction at any time or lift him to his feet.” Teammates can no longer assist a runner except by “individually blocking opponents for him.”

Onside kick might be tweaked

NFL players will likely be allowed to participate in 2028 Olympics

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The next organized team activities.

OTAs: May 27-28, May 30, June 2-3, June 5, June 16-18

Mandatory Minicamp: June 10-12

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Minnesota Vikings News and Links

PFF Quarterback Rankings: All 32 starters ahead of the 2025 NFL season

Tier 4: Young players with a wide range of potential outcomes

21. J.J. McCarthy, Minnesota Vikings

I’m leaning on my personal evaluation here, as I had McCarthy as the top quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. We didn’t get to see him as a rookie, but his 2023 season at Michigan — where he earned a 92.2 PFF grade and a 93.4 passing grade — highlighted everything you want in a young passer. If he’s fully healthy in 2025, and considering what Sam Darnold managed in this offense, McCarthy is set up to succeed.

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Vikings’ J.J. McCarthy Dealt Concerning NFL QB Comparison

On a May 19 episode of the “Move the Sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks” podcast, Brooks compared McCarthy to Alex Smith. The No. 1 overall pick from the 2005 draft, Smith won just two playoff games and made three Pro Bowl appearances in a career that was marred by injury.

“I think Kevin O’Connell, early, is not going to give him [a lot] and expect him to go win the game. I think he’s going to set the other guys to do it,” Brooks added. “He’s going to be a high-end trailer. If he operates like a high-end trailer for the Minnesota Vikings, where he lets the rest of the team carry him, the Minnesota Vikings can win a ton of games.

“And then, as he gets comfortable, maybe he shows some of the playmaking ability at the end of his second year.”

Brooks’ comparison may not sit well with some Vikings fans, but the NFL analyst is one of the biggest vocal supporters of McCarthy entering his first season under center.

Brooks took a deep dive into how the Vikings have built a ready-to-win roster and can plug McCarthy in.

“Though some will take the ‘high-end game manager’ language as a dig at McCarthy’s upside, it speaks to his winning pedigree and ego-free approach. McCarthy has already demonstrated his willingness to sacrifice individual stats for team success as a collegian (SEE: 27-1 record at Michigan with a national title), and that certainly made him an attractive prospect for evaluators who value “winners” at the position,” Brooks wrote.

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Vikings, J.J. McCarthy Prediction a Cause for Concern

The table is set for J.J. McCarthy, and as prognosticators begin the dive into the team’s 2025 schedule, there are some non-believers.

Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton predicted the Vikings to “come back to earth” and drop out of the playoff picture with an 8-9 regular-season record with McCarthy.

“O’Connell has worked well with veteran quarterbacks Kirk Cousins and Darnold. McCarthy hasn’t taken a regular-season snap, though,” Moton wrote on May 14. “On top of McCarthy’s inexperience, he must also knock off some rust and build a rapport with his top playmakers.

“The Vikings have the supporting cast to prop up a young quarterback, and their defense can help them win low-scoring games, but this team will regress with a first-year starter under center, perhaps more than most would expect after a 14-win campaign,” Moton added. “On the road, McCarthy will face stout defenses within the NFC North and in Pittsburgh, Seattle and Los Angeles. Chargers lead skipper Jim Harbaugh coached him at Michigan and knows his weaknesses.”

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‘Ripple Effects’ of Landmark QB Move Loom Large for J.J. McCarthy, Vikings

The San Francisco 49ers will be a case study for the Vikings on many levels over the next few seasons. Most notably, they signed Brock Purdy to a five-year, $265 million contract extension. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox wrote on May 16 that the deal has various “ripple effects.”

Knox did not mention the Vikings. However, his note that the 49ers “can no longer afford to whiff on early draft picks” should resonate with Minnesota.

Knox specifically cited the 49ers’ trade up in 2021 to select Trey Lance No. 3 overall.

Multiple misses for various reasons in the secondary have left the Vikings facing significant questions in back-to-back offseasons. Seven of their 35 top 100 draft picks from 2012 through 2022 remain on the roster entering 2025 OTAs.

Five of those players are starters for the Vikings, including All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, who is of particular interest to McCarthy, and All-Pro safety Harrison Smith.

Knox wrote that it is “imperative” for the 49ers to hit on “cheaper rookie talent” in the draft, with Purdy now the highest-paid player in franchise history. They have already had to part with several expensive veterans this offseason. The 49ers absorbed north of $86 million in dead cap.

A similar path with McCarthy would leave the Vikings trying to fill gaps with expensive options in free agency and fliers in the draft and post-draft landscape.

The Vikings have three more seasons before the end of McCarthy’s contract expires. Then they can turn to his fifth-year option and up to three years of franchise tags before having to make a long-term decision.

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The Vikings will regret overpaying veteran sooner than anyone expected

Veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is expected to play an important role for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025 and beyond. After all, the team invested significantly in him this offseason, though that could ultimately haunt them earlier than anticipated.

Minnesota signed Allen to a three-year, $51 million contract, including $23.255 million in guaranteed money, a handful of days after the Washington Commanders released him. You know what they say: One man’s trash is another’s treasure. And apparently, the Vikings believe the 30-year-old is worth his weight in gold, contrary to their NFC rival.

Veteran defensive tackle Jonathan Allen is expected to play an important role for the Minnesota Vikings in 2025 and beyond. After all, the team invested significantly in him this offseason, though that could ultimately haunt them earlier than anticipated.

Minnesota signed Allen to a three-year, $51 million contract, including $23.255 million in guaranteed money, a handful of days after the Washington Commanders released him. You know what they say: One man’s trash is another’s treasure. And apparently, the Vikings believe the 30-year-old is worth his weight in gold, contrary to their NFC rival.

Allen’s price tag suggests Minnesota still sees him as the two-time Pro Bowler he once was, and they might be in for a rude awakening.

The Vikings are seemingly betting Allen returns to pre-injury form. Meanwhile, he became a cap casualty in Washington following their failed attempt to trade him. How can two front offices have polar opposite evaluations of the same player?

Washington had an up-close view of Allen and elected to go in a different direction. Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave him a 54.6 overall grade last season, which ranked 119th of 219 qualifying interior defenders. While his pass-rushing was slightly above average, he struggled mightily to stop the run.

Minnesota has to hope that their gamble on Allen pays off. Not only do they have a substantial financial commitment but, for a team hoping to compete for a division crown again in the loaded NFC North, the depth is lacking on the defensive line behind the veteran. If it flops, that could put them on the wrong side of thin margins between the Packers, Lions and Bears.

Note: Washington saved 16.47M by releasing Allen. Not a surprise that the “writer” did not include this very significant factor. Laziness.

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Regrading 2022 NFL Draft: Chiefs, Packers’ classes look even greater; Commanders’ high mark plummets to ‘F’

Minnesota Vikings

2022 Grade: C

The Skinny: General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was on the job for just a short time when he handled his first draft this year. It wasn’t good. The Vikings traded down a few times and tried to get more picks, but the top two are no longer on the roster. First-round safety Lewis Cine never started a game and suffered a major ankle injury in his rookie season. He’s now with the Eagles after being released. Second-round corner Andrew Booth was traded to the Cowboys last year after starting two games for the Vikings. There is not a true starter from the draft, although sixth-round pick Jalen Nailor is the third receiver. Sixth-round running back Ty Chandler has done some good things in his career.

How I did: Third-round linebacker Brian Asamoah was the captain of my Better-Than Team that year, so I loved the pick. He has been little more than a special-teams player. I questioned the pick of guard Ed Ingram in the third, and he’s now with the Texans after struggling with the Vikings as a starter. I questioned all the moves made by Adofo-Mensah this year.

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Source: https://www.dailynorseman.com/2025/5/20/24433960/jj-mccarthy-jonathan-allen-kevin-oconnell