The 4 Big Reasons Vikings Fans Should Be Fired Up
We are approximately two months away from the start of the NFL regular season.
The build-up to a new season for a sports fan should always be about optimism and excitement for what lies ahead. Ultimately, it always ends in disappointment for every team except one. As we head towards a new season, we look at four reasons for excitement for the 2025 Vikings as the team embarks on the next chapter in the team’s history.
VikingsTerritory provides four reasons to be excited about the 2025 Vikings.
Kevin O’Connell unexpectedly guided his team to the playoffs for the second time in three seasons in 2024. Not much was expected of the Vikings with Sam Darnold at quarterback, but 14 wins was the outcome. Minnesota fell at the first hurdle in the playoffs again under O’Connell, and success there is the natural next step. However, with question marks again at QB, opinions on the Vikings are mixed again.
There are, however, at least four reasons for Vikings fans to be excited this year.
1. Finding Out if the Vikings Have Their Quarterback
The search for a franchise quarterback is all-encompassing in the NFL, particularly finding one through the draft. The Vikings rolled the dice last year when drafting JJ McCarthy with the 10th overall pick – a long overdue move.
Unfortunately, McCarthy didn’t get to play any regular-season snaps due to a knee injury, but he looked promising in his lone preseason start. His only opportunity to build on that in his rookie season came off the field as he looked to immerse himself in the Vikings’ offensive scheme.
How prepared has that made him for the opportunity to be the clear QB1 in Minnesota this season? We will find out, as there are no obstacles to McCarthy starting, and he should be able to succeed in O’Connell’s offense with an array of weapons and what should be the best protection a Vikings QB has received in many years.
McCarthy finally gets his chance in Year 2, and while we shouldn’t expect him to have all the answers immediately. We should at least start to see signs that he can be “the guy,” and that is exciting, even if it does so with some trepidation that it could go the other way.
2. Successful Coaching Staff Still Intact
As teams started looking for a new head coach at the back end of the 2024 season, Brian Flores’ name was in the mix. Over two seasons as the Vikings’ defensive coordinator, Flores has done a phenomenal job overhauling the defense after a dreadful period from 2020 to 2022.
The Vikings’ DC has to get exotic with his scheme to try and cover up the weaknesses on his defense, some of which are still apparent. His success in this role led to concerns that someone might give him another chance at being a head coach, but no such opportunity materialized – good news for Minnesota and O’Connell.
The Vikings’ head coach has quickly garnered a reputation as one of the elite offensive minds in football, installing not just an explosive and QB-friendly offense but also a culture that players want to be a part of.
He has earned the QB-whisperer label in his three seasons with the Vikings, getting career-best play out of Kirk Cousins, a Pro Bowl season out of the much-maligned Sam Darnold, and even a handful of electric games out of Joshua Dobbs. O’Connell and Flores can continue to build with the help of their assistant coaches, who also saw no significant departures. Minnesota has become a place where players are put in a position to succeed, and there’s no reason why that should stop anytime soon.
3. Key Weaknesses Have Been Rectified
One of the significant differences between the Vikings and the other playoff teams, which more closely resembled Super Bowl contenders, was in the trenches. The interior of both the offensive and defensive line was a problem last season, and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wasn’t about to ignore it.
On the offensive side, there has been a complete revamp of the interior with the signings of Ryan Kelly at center and Will Fries at right guard, along with a first-round rookie at left guard in Donovan Jackson.
On the defensive side, the Vikings swooped in for a couple of interior defenders with impressive pass-rush resumes in Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave — the pair has combined for 87.5 sacks across their careers. If Minnesota can get pressure on the QB when only rushing four, rather than relying on exotic blitz packages.
It will help address the other weakness on defense, which is the secondary. Some genuine interior pass rush will be an exciting new development to Flores’ defense.
4. More Justin Jefferson
We’ve had five seasons of Justin Jefferson in Minnesota, and he is signed up for the next four. It’s easy to take for granted, but we are witnessing greatness, and he won’t be around forever. The 2022 Offensive Player of the Year, a two-time first-team All-Pro, a two-time second-team All-Pro, and a four-time Pro Bowler, is having a career that puts him on a path to the Hall of Fame. We should be excited every time he steps out onto the field.
Jefferson has proven “quarterback proof” during his career, showing he can make plays no matter who is throwing him the ball. Regardless, the Vikings will be hoping he can build a rapport with McCarthy that leads to them being seen as one of the best QB/WR duos in the league. Now that would be exciting.
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