4 Big Questions Still Staring the Vikings in the Face
The Minnesota Vikings are entering the 2025 regular season with a ton of hope.
The team has a new quarterback taking the reins in J.J. McCarthy, and they revamped many of their weaknesses in the trenches with big splash free agent signings both on the defensive and offensive lines.
However, there are still a few big questions that may not be answered until Minnesota officially takes the field on Monday night against the Chicago Bears.
Do the Vikings Have Enough Firepower Around McCarthy?
The Vikings had a big portion of this question answered on Thursday when Justin Jefferson was not listed on Minnesota’s initial injury report.
However, while it seems like the star receiver will be able to suit up for Week 1 barring any setbacks over the next couple days, there are still valid questions surrounding Minnesota’s depth at the position. Adam Thielen is returning to take over the WR2 role while Jordan Addison serves his three-game suspension, but how much gas is left in the tank for the 35-year-old receiver?
Otherwise, the Vikings will be relying on Jalen Nailor and rookie Tai Felton to take on major snaps over the first three weeks of the season. Only time will tell how the young receivers hold up in increased roles.
Finally, Christian Darrisaw was listed as a DNP during Thursday’s practice as he continues to recover from his knee injury. While Darrisaw is already ahead of schedule by participating in training camp practices this summer, it will be a significantly different game for the Vikings if their star left tackle is not on the field Monday.
Can the Vikings’ CB Room Hold Up?
The Vikings saw veteran cornerbacks Shaq Griffin and Stephon Gilmore leave the team after productive years in 2024, and all offseason, fans expected the Vikings to make some sort of big splash at the position.
Of course, it was a major boost that Byron Murphy came back on a new deal, but we will have to wait and see how newcomers Isaiah Rodgers and Jeff Okudah fill starting roles. Rodgers has never been a consistent starter in his career, starting just 13 games over his four-year career. Meanwhile, Okudah, a former third overall pick, has never lived up to that draft status whether it be due to lackluster play or injuries.
Regardless, the Vikings are set on rolling into the season with that duo at the top of the depth chart, and that was only further solidified when the team opted to trade away Mekhi Blackmon to the Indianapolis Colts.
It will be interesting to see how the cornerback group holds up this offseason, especially after safety Camryn Bynum decided to sign elsewhere this offseason. It should also be noted that Harrison Smith was a DNP for Thursday’s practice because of an illness, so his status could be up in the air for Week 1.
What Does Dallas Turner’s Role Look Like in 2025?
The Vikings made a very interesting decision during the 2024 draft when they not only selected OLB Dallas Turner in the first round, but they traded up to get him. Keep in mind, that decision came after the Vikings decided to sign both Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel during free agency.
Of course, both Greenard and Van Ginkel had career seasons for the Vikings in 2024, which resulted in Turner playing just 28% of the defensive snaps during the 16 games he appeared in. That same trio remains intact in 2025, though, and the Vikings face a similar challenge as to how exactly they will get Turner onto the field this year.
The departure of Patrick Jones helps in that department as Jones played 46% of the defensive snaps over the course of the season, but it seems like Minnesota should want Turner on the field as much as possible considering how much draft capital they gave up to acquire him. Anything less than 50% of the snaps in his second season feels like it would be a waste even if Greenard and Van Ginkel are equally productive this year.
Will the Vikings’ Special Teams Improve?
The Vikings have had their struggles on special teams over the past couple years. Ryan Wright hasn’t been all that efficient as a punter, having his net yards per punt steadily drop over the course of his three-year career. Last year, his 40.5 net yards per punt ranked 24th out of 34 qualified punters, and his touchback percentage of 8.9% ranked as 12th-most.
Equally concerning has been Minnesota’s punt returning. The Vikings ranked dead-last in the NFL in 2024 with 6.8 yards per punt return. Brandon Powell, who handled the majority of those returns, is no longer on the roster, but the Vikings were unable to find a proven candidate to take over that role.
Instead, they are relying on undrafted rookie Myles Price to return punts. At the very least, he is listed at the top of their depth chart at that position. Price did handle punts throughout most of his collegiate career, returning 20 punts for an average of 12.6 yards last season with the Indiana Hoosiers, but it remains to be seen if that will translate to the NFL level.
If it doesn’t work out with Price, the Vikings interestingly have Thielen listed as their No. 2 punt returner. Thielen has not returned a punt since the 2016 season when he took six returns for a total of just eight yards.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Reference.
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