They’re Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud about the Vikings
Your Minnesota Vikings are Super Bowl contenders. It’s okay to say it out loud.
Murmurs about the Vikings being a contender are getting louder, and now one national site took the plunge this week. It’s a sweet offseason talker. Maybe the best.
The club may not win the chip this year, but based on its recent roster construction, spanning four offseasons with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah in charge, it’s time to dream big, with a Super Bowl window formally cracking open.
Pro Football Talk was the latest this week to toss Minnesota’s name into the hat.
The Vikings’ Super Bowl Window Is Open
More national media outlets are realizing that the time is now for Minnesota.
Vikings Included in Super Bowl Contender List
PFT’s Mike Florio, usually a skeptic for all things Vikings, labeled Minnesota a contender this week.
In an article sizing up Super Bowl hopefuls, Florio wrote, “In most years, roughly 10 teams are in the window, roughly 10 teams aren’t, and the remaining 12 could break either way. This year, the AFC’s true short-list contenders are the Chiefs, Bills, Ravens, Bengals, and Texans. The Broncos and Chargers could force their way into the conversation.”
“In the NFC, it’s the Eagles, Lions, Rams, 49ers, and Commanders. Maybe the Buccaneers. Maybe the Vikings. Again, things can and will change. That’s why they play the games, as someone once said. All the time.”
Minnesota hasn’t been named-dropped like this — at this frequency — as a contender since the summer of 2018.
Florio continued, “For those who like a little variety, it would be nice for someone other than the Chiefs to get a turn in the Super Bowl. And for someone other than the Eagles, 49ers, or Rams to emerge from the NFC. Since 2017, it’s been the Eagles three times, the 49ers twice, the Rams twice, and the Bucs once.”
“For the AFC, it’s been only the Patriots, Chiefs, and Bengals. That’s it. Over eight seasons, seven total franchises have taken the 16 total Super Bowl berths.”
The competitive rebuild is over, and the time is now for Adofo-Mensah’s Vikings.
Vikings’ Defense, OL Now Super Bowl Worthy
Listen, Minnesota deployed a championship-worthy defense last year. Brian Flores’ unit ranked second in the sport per EPA/Play and DVOA. So, it’s not like that side of the ball needed a grand overhaul. In fact, Adofo-Mensah improved the defense, chiefly by signing premier defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
And to fix his offensive line — that utterly tanked in the 2024 postseason — the Vikings signed free agents Will Fries and Ryan Kelly while drafting Donovan Jackson from Ohio State.
The two main components, other than the quarterback — defensive and offensive line — are there on Minnesota’s depth chart. There’s not much “hope” needed. The solutions are ironclad.
Need the Rushing Offense to Do Its Part
To get over the top, head coach Kevin O’Connell must foster a consistent rushing offense. His boss re-signed Aaron Jones in March and traded for Jordan Mason from the San Francisco 49ers.
The one knock on O’Connell is his rushing offense woes, and if Minnesota wants a piece of the NFC Championship and later a Lombardi trophy, he has to run the football with Top 15 efficiency.
Thankfully, the offensive line is now equipped to field the request.
Then, It’s All on J.J. McCarthy
Alas, the granddaddy of them all.
J.J. McCarthy, a 1st-Rounder from the 2024 NFL Draft, must do his part. He’s never thrown a regular season pass after busting his meniscus in the preseason last year, but with a championship depth chart, McCarthy must avoid major mistakes through 17 games of the regular season.
He doesn’t have to play lights out as a rookie, but he can’t perform like Christian Ponder, Josh Freeman, or Kellen Mond.
Think of it this way: McCarthy must be competent for Minnesota to have a shot at February football.
NFL.com Picks Bills to Win It All
Two weeks ago, NFL.com’s Jeffri Chadiha revealed bold predictions for the NFL in 2025, including his declaration about Buffalo winning the chip.
He wrote, “The Bills will win the Super Bowl. This is bold simply because the Bills have dealt with so much heartache over the last five seasons. They’ve lost four playoff games to the Chiefs (including two AFC title bouts) and suffered another home defeat to the Bengals in the 2022 Divisional Round.”
“This team has too much talent and smart coaching to continually miss out on opportunities to get over the hump, which is why this prediction makes so much sense today. Quarterback Josh Allen is coming off his first MVP season.”
Like the Vikings, the Bills have reached the Super Bowl four times — and lost each time.
Chadiha added, “The defense added some nice pieces in the 2025 NFL Draft, including speedy cornerback Maxwell Hairston and edge rusher Landon Jackson. The schedule also looks favorable, with Buffalo playing 10 games against teams that didn’t produce a winning record in 2024.”
“There’s basically never been a better time for the Bills to earn the top seed in the AFC and potentially host a conference championship game. And if they can do that, they should win the whole damn thing.”
Minnesota has +2800 odds to win it all, a probability that has improved from +4000 at the start of the offseason.
Beloved Ex-Viking Wants Back In
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