Vikings’ List of Opponents — with Schedule Release around the Bend
The 2024 NFL Draft is in the rearview, and the Minnesota Vikings used the event to select a quarterback of the future in J.J. McCarthy and outside linebacker Dallas Turner in Round 1.
The next significant offseason item is the schedule release, which is expected to drop sometime this week.
Vikings’ List of Opponents — with Schedule Release around the Bend
Minnesota finished 7-10 in 2023, missing out on the postseason while obtaining a spot in the NFC North behind the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers for a third-place schedule in 2024. The Vikings once owned a fancy 6-4 record in November but finished 1-6 and squandered an 80% probability of reaching the postseason.
Minnesota has been busy this offseason, saying goodbye to Kirk Cousin and Danielle Hunter, among 14 others who’ve signed elsewhere, meanwhile welcoming 14 new free agents. The 2024 season will be pivotal for the Vikings — Year No. 3 of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell’s reign — and at first glimpse, the schedule appears slighly easier — not by much — in 2024 than in 2023.
The Vikings will have nine home games in 2024 as the NFL flips from a nine-game versus eight-game home format every year per conference. In 2023, AFC teams played nine home games. Next year, the Vikings and 15 other NFC clubs will be afforded the nine.
Without any doubt, these are the Vikings’ home opponents in 2024:
- Arizona Cardinals
- Atlanta Falcons
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Houston Texans
- Indianapolis Colts
- New York Jets
- San Francisco 49ers
And with the third place inside the NFC North, Minnesota will play these teams on the road next season:
- Chicago Bears
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Los Angeles Rams
- New York Giants
- Seattle Seahawks
- Tennessee Titans
Had the Vikings finished in last place inside the division in 2023, the three “other” opponents would’ve been the Commanders, Patriots, and Panthers. But no such luck. That’s now the Bears’ schedule.
Here’s the full schedule (that won’t be in order until later this week):
- vs. Arizona Cardinals
- vs. New York Jets
- vs. Chicago Bears
- vs. Detroit Lions
- vs. Green Bay Packers
- vs. Houston Texans
- vs. Indianapolis Colts
- vs. San Francisco 49ers
- vs. Atlanta Falcons
- at Chicago Bears
- at Detroit Lions
- at New York Giants
- at Green Bay Packers
- at Jacksonville Jaguars
- at Los Angeles Rams
- at Seattle Seahawks
- at Tennessee Titans
Tentatively, the Vikings would be on deck to face these quarterbacks:
- Kyler Murray
- Aaron Rodgers
- Caleb Williams (twice)
- Jared Goff (twice)
- Jordan Love (twice)
- C.J. Stroud
- Anthony Richardson
- Brock Purdy
- Kirk Cousins
- Daniel Jones
- Trevor Lawrence
- Matthew Stafford
- Geno Smith
- Will Levis
The next actionable stop in the offseason is rookie minicamp, which runs May 10 through 12. About four weeks later, mandatory minicamp for all players will take place in Eagan.
The Vikings will also play in London once again next season — a home game, much to the chagrin of season ticket holders.
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 MIN 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.
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