New Vikings Rumor Ignites
The Minnesota Vikings will learn their schedule fate on Wednesday night, with word already formally announced that the franchise will play overseas in back-to-back weeks against the Pittsburgh Steelers (Week 4) and the Cleveland Browns (Week 5) in Dublin and London, respectively.
There’s a fresh new Vikings rumor out in the open, possibly a Week 1 matchup at the Detroit Lions.
Those contests are confirmed.
Now, there’s a fresh new schedule rumor: the Vikings could travel to Detroit for a Week 1 date against the Lions.
The Rumor = Vikings at Lions Week 1
The rumor was born from a popular X account called The Purple Persuasion.
TPP tweeted Monday, “SOURCE: Hearing the Vikings are set to open the 2025 NFL season against the Lions in week 1. Primetime game in-play. Don’t know if it’s home or away, but reading the tea leaves, its a week 18 rematch at Ford Field AND a return to Michigan for J.J. McCarthy as QB1.”
Another prominent Vikings-themed account added context, “If this was true, this game between the Vikings and Lions would likely be a Monday Night showdown. Thursday and Friday night games are already set, and Sunday night is rumored for the Bills to be one of the featured teams.”
It’s worth noting that the rumor does not appear to be out of left field.
Support for the Rumor
Alec Lewis, who covers the Vikings for The Athletic, said on his podcast this week, “I was thinking about this, having some conversations the last couple days, J.J. McCarthy might get tested from the get-go. It might be one of those three teams in this division from the very beginning, J.J. McCarthy’s first game, this new-look offensive line’s first game.”
And Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling, another credible voice, said on KFAN that he “would not be surprised” if the Vikings played at Detroit to start the season.
Return to the Scene of the Crime
If true, Kevin O’Connell and Co. would return to their Week 18 crime scene, Ford Field. Minnesota had the almighty chance to secure homefield advantage and the NFC North title last January, but courtesy of Sam Darnold’s epic faceplant, Minnesota lost and got blown out, in fact, losing 31-9.
The loss ensured Minnesota would hit the road for Round 1 of the postseason, and the Vikings immediately lost to the Los Angeles Rams in Arizona, another epic faceplant from — you guessed it — Sam Darnold.
Minnesota would have a chance to exorcise 2024 demons right away if the DET-MIN rumor is true, although the Lions’ majesty in the NFC North has not diminished this offseason. They’re still the darlings to win the division in 2025.
J.J. McCarthy’s Return to Michigan in First-Ever NFL Game
The man who replaced faceplanting Darnold, J.J. McCarthy, has strong ties to Michigan. He was born in Illinois, played high school football in Florida, and led the Michigan Wolverines to a National Championship in 2023, the springboard event that brought him to Minnesota in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL Draft.
Pitting McCarthy against the NFL team in the state of his college alma mater would be poetic Week 1 scheduling and a challenge McCarthy would embrace.
Lions-Themed Media on the Matchup & Rumor
Athlon Sports‘ John Vaccaro sized up the Lions-Vikings rumor this week and opined: “The last time these two teams met was the most important matchup of the 2024 regular season. When the Vikings travelled to Ford Field in Week 18, the NFC North title was on the line and so was the top seed in the NFC. The loser would fall to the fifth seed.”
“The Lions ended up dominating the matchup, taking home a 31-9 win and their second consecutive division title. When the Lions and Vikings meet, both teams will look very different from the teams in that matchup. The Lions haven’t changed their personnel much, but they’ll be a whole lot healthier.”
The would-be contest between Minnesota and Detroit would assuredly push the Vikings to the limit — right away in the regular season.
Vaccaro added, “Meanwhile, the Vikings have overhauled their offensive line and will have J.J. McCarthy under center after an injury cost him his entire rookie season.”
“If this is the way the season begins, it will be a hugely important matchup to start their quest for a third consecutive division title and would be a pretty strong consolation prize after missing out on a Week 1 meeting with the defending champs.”
Folks will get a final verdict on the rumor Wednesday night when the league drops the full schedule.
Sportsbooks predict 8.5 wins for the Vikings this season.
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