The 4 Bears-Vikings Factors No One Should Ignore
The Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears will meet for the 129th time on Monday night, opening the 2025 campaign at Soldier Field.
The four Bears-Vikings storylines folks should monitor heading into Monday night — ones that could determine a win or a loss.
Minnesota will begin the J.J. McCarthy era at quarterback. Chicago will get the Ben Johnson era off the ground as the Bears’ head coach.
And to keep you in the loop, these are four storylines to monitor on Monday, listed in ascending order of importance (No. 1 = top storyline).
Bears-Vikings Storylines to Watch For
Minnesota is favored by 1.5 points to prevail in Chicago.
4. The Nahshon Wright Angle
Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson has been limited in practice all week. Somehow, one of the next men up on Chicago’s depth chart at cornerback is Nahshon Wright, who lived on Minnesota’s practice squad last season after general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah acquired him via trade for Andrew Booth with the Dallas Cowboys.
Wright produced a horrible 2025 preseason but later made the Bears’ 53-man roster.
There is a) a chance Johnson doesn’t play b) Johnson doesn’t play his full-time workload — which could put Wright, the former Viking, on the field to guard Justin Jefferson or Adam Thielen.
Either man would feast.
3. The Vikings’ New-Look Rushing Offense and Plan
The Vikings onboarded all new interior offensive linemen this offseason: right guard Will Fries, center Ryan Kelly, and left guard Donovan Jackson.
The franchise also traded for Jordan Mason from the San Francisco 49ers. The offseason efforts align with the team’s emphasis on becoming more efficient on Sundays when running the football. Since Kevin O’Connell’s arrival in 2022, the rushing offense has been his sole area of concern.
Chicago’s defense ranked 26th in the NFL last year per EPA/Play, so keep an eye on Minnesota’s allegedly enhanced rushing methods versus a usually suspect Bears’ run defense.
2. Ben Johnson Begins
Chicago probably retained Matt Eberflus a year and a half too long, finally parting ways with the head coach after a hideous gaffe in a 2024 Thanksgiving game.
A few months later, the Bears hired Detroit Lions offensive mastermind Ben Johson, and he’s now tasked with making quarterback Caleb Williams cook. Bears fans long lamented Eberflus, on the whole, so now is the time to enjoy the Johnson era.
If Johnson effectuates his lofty reputation in Chicago, Minnesota will see him on the sidelines twice annually for many years.
Bears.com‘s Gabby Hajduk wrote about Johnson and the Bears this week: “With more than 20 training camp practices and three preseason games now behind them, a new mission begins as the 17-game NFL regular season kicks off this week.”
“The work each team logged over the past six weeks will be presented on a national stage, and in the Bears’ case, in prime time on Monday night against the Vikings. The Ben Johnson-Bears offense will debut in full for the first time. Players like Rome Odunze understand that there will be bumps along the way as the unit settles in and adapts to the weekly grind of the season.”
Chicago hasn’t won a playoff game in 15 years,
Hajduk added, “However, it’s the confidence in which Johnson has installed the offense that provides the players with the proper foundation to flourish. Perfection is unrealistic in the NFL. Still, that’s what Johnson expects. He strives for perfection — whether it’s how he coaches or calls a game, how the offense executes a formation or how dominant his team is.”
“But in reality, the Bears are focused on being fundamentally-sound, consistent, aggressive and competitive. They want to win and they trust their tenacious, laser-focused, mad scientist-like competitive coach to help lead them.”
1. The Dawn of J.J. McCarthy
It’s Captain Obvious at No. 1.
After 16 months, Vikings fans will get a look at their Golden Boy. Minnesota drafted McCarthy with the 10th pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, their proposed solution for life after Kirk Cousins. Shortly after that draft, McCarthy tore his meniscus, missing his whole rookie campaign and enabling Sam Darnold to reclaim his career.
Minnesota severed ties with Darnold, though, after one season, as Darnold picked the Seattle Seahawks in free agency. The club did not re-up with Daniel Jones, nor did it sign Aaron Rodgers, who campaigned through back channels to lead the franchise in 2025.
With great anticipation, perhaps more than any Vikings-related offseason since 2009 or 2010, the McCarthy era begins on Monday night at Soldier Field.
McCarthy told reporters this week about his preparation for Week 1: “I just try to be completely present. There’s going to be anxiousness, excitement, and a whole lot of adrenaline. … That’s completely normal, and accepting those emotions allows you to let go of them a lot quicker than trying to deflect them and avoid them.”
“Home is in Minnesota, so at the end of the day, it’s just a business trip. We’re going to go down there, execute some football plays, and see what happens.”
It’s the top storyline by a thousand miles.
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