The Nasty Parts of the Vikings Schedule
After weeks, if not months, of anticipation, the Minnesota Vikings’ 2025 schedule is here.
The Vikings schedule is finally here, and it features some nasty sections, mainly because the team won 14 games last year.
You can peek under the hood at all 18 weeks by following this link.
One metric — even before the Wednesday release — claimed the Vikings had the league’s fifth-toughest schedule in 2025. Following a preliminary glance at the schedule, that adjudication is probably correct.
So, to familiarize you with the schedule, these are the nastiest aspects. They’re counted down to the nastiest.
Soldier Field Right Away
Travelling to Chicago for a showdown with the Bears in Week 1 isn’t the worst thing in the world. It’s not.
But it’s a buzzkill.
Soldier Field is the one spot on this planet where a Vikings game is guaranteed to be at least a little goofy, and it rarely portrays an accurate depiction of Minnesota’s worth. Good Vikings teams can play like garbage in Chicago. Bad teams might shine.
Therefore, if the Week 1 contest follows the historical trend, no one will know if quarterback J.J. McCarthy had a rocky outing, if applicable, or if Soldier Field was just doing Soldier Field things.
The perk? The weather will be nice. Some Soldier Field games in November and December can be undone by the elements, creating a sloppy field.
The Early Bye Week
After Minnesota’s unprecedented “road” trip to Dublin and London, Kevin O’Connell’s men return stateside for a bye.
Most fans — and even teams — relish a late bye week, allowing players to get healthy and prepare for the season’s stretch run in December.
The Vikings get the week off in mid-October. Like Week 1 at Soldier, it’s not world-ending, but it might inspire some eye rolls.
Lions and Packers to Finish Her Out
Yes, the Vikings have two home games to round out the 18-week docket. That should be appreciated.
However, no matter how you dice it, Minnesota still plays the Lions and Packers to end the season. Those clubs are the foremost foes at the moment per competition, and unless injuries arise to either rival, the games are guaranteed to be a pain in the butt.
Thankfully, the Vikings took care of business last year at home versus Green Bay, and they’re actually overdue to topple the Lions at U.S. Bank Stadium.
Four Back-to-Back Road Game Duos
On four occasions in 2025, Minnesota will fire up back-to-back road games. Last year, it had one back-to-back road game pairing. In 2023, it had two.
There are four this year, and that’s pretty damn weird. It’s really bunched up.
Of course, this does not mean that Minnesota has more road games. In fact, because of the European trip, the Vikings have eight home games, seven on the road, and two more pseudo-home contests if one believes the crowds in Dublin and London will favor the purple team.
Still, four back-to-back road game helpings are strange.
Eagles-Chargers-Lions-Ravens
After the Week 6 bye, Minnesota takes on the Philadelphia Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium, the Los Angeles Chargers on a short week in Hollywood, the Detroit Lions on the road, and back home versus the Baltimore Ravens.
Per those teams’ roster construction in the spring, that opponent foursome could be the deadliest that Minnesota has ever faced in a row. There’s virtually no scenario where PHI-LAC-DET-BAL turns into a manageable situation or cakewalk — unless the Vikings are the beasts of the NFL and do the intimidating.
Our Affiliate Site’s Take on the Schedule
Janik Eckardt of PurplePTSD opined on the schedule Wednesday, “The Vikings are a hot ticket this year. Folks have realized that they are always in the mix for close games, O’Connell and Justin Jefferson are likable stars, and J.J. McCarthy is in his first season as a starter.”
“It’s always tough to forecast what the NFL will look like because it is so unpredictable. Eagles, Chargers, Lions, and Ravens between Weeks 7 and 10 could be the hardest part, though.”
The Vikings have +2800 Super Bowl odds as of mid-May.
Eckardt added, “That’s the defending Super Bowl champion, the Lions, a team the Vikings seemingly can’t beat, an already-good Chargers team in year two of their regime, and Lamar Jackson’s Ravens, who are always a strong opponent.”
“Of course, we want to find the easiest part, too, but it is kind of hard to find consecutive poor foes on the schedule. The three or four easier (on paper) matchups are sprinkled in. Perhaps the first five weeks could count as an easier stretch. Although they surely want to change that, the Bears, Falcons, Bengals, and Browns all missed the playoffs last year, and the Steelers are usually a one-and-done. Two of those games will be at home, one on the road, and two at neutral places.”
The offseason’s next step is organized team activities at the end of the month. Those get underway May 27th and always feel like a segue to summer.
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