Oct 2, 2022; London, United Kingdom; Minnesota Vikings fans react in the second half .Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports.
The mystery is solved.
For a couple of months, the rumor mill whispered that the Minnesota Vikings would face an AFC South team across the pond, but the rumor mill got it wrong. Instead, the purple team will encounter a familiar foe in London on Sunday, October 6th — in the form of Aaron Rodgers.
Indeed, it’s the New York Jets in England as Minnesota puts its international undefeated streak on the line. Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling tweeted Wednesday morning, “The Vikings will return to London on Oct. 6, to face the Jets at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. It means Aaron Rodgers — who’s faced the Vikings more than any team in his career — won’t be returning to U.S. Bank Stadium this year.”
The Vikings emailed season ticket holders priority access for a lottery to obtain tickets, with a deadline of May 24th.
Minnesota last played another foe overseas in 2022, the New Orleans Saints, and narrowly escaped with a zany victory over Sean Payton and friends. That contest was a road game for the Vikings, and this time, Minnesota will technically play at “home” at Tottenham Hotspur.
The Jets, meanwhile, have high hopes for 2024 after their 2023 campaign was ravaged right away by Rodgers’ Achilles injury in Week 1, just four offensive plays into the season. For most of the 2023 season, the Jets were “a quarterback away” from contendership, but Zach Wilson, now a quarterback for the Denver Broncos, could not achieve any efficiency on offense. Rodgers will be back in 2024, though, and only a couple of months away from age 41, he’ll take on the Vikings, a club he’s played 29 times — with 17 wins since 2005.
Who will quarterback the Vikings? That’s the $64,000 question. Sam Darnold joined the franchise in March after Kirk Cousins bolted for the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, and six weeks later, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah drafted Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy as the quarterback of the future. In theory, McCarthy could be ready for QB1 duties by the time Vikings-Jets rolls around on October 6th, but that is merely speculative as of May 15th.
In reality, the contest will likely feature Rodgers versus Darnold. Stay tuned.
The Vikings’ full schedule will be announced on Wednesday evening. New York has a 1-1 record in London, while Minnesota has never lost a regular season or exhibition bout in Great Britain.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.