Reasons for Optimism about the 2025 Vikings
The 2024 season saw low expectations for the Minnesota Vikings, but they delivered an excellent regular-season performance before falling at the first hurdle in the playoffs. As we look towards the start of a new season, let’s look at reasons for optimism for the 2025 Vikings.
Reasons for Optimism about the 2025 Vikings
The national-level expectations are tepid as the Vikings have embarrassing Super Bowl odds for a team that won 14 games last season. The reasoning is the same as last year: uncertainty at the QB position with no official decision forthcoming. Minnesota will make that decision, and with it, there will be plenty of reasons for optimism about the new season.
Kevin O’Connell Focused on Continuing to Build His Team
There was a brief moment when the 2024 season ended when certain people in the media were floating the idea of the Vikings trading away their head coach. This was because he had yet to sign a contract extension with his current deal, which was set to run out at the end of the 2025 season. The new contract arrived in January and made O’Connell one of the best-paid coaches in the game — a multi-year extension believed to be worth $60 million over five years.
The Vikings and O’Connell have a long-term commitment to continue building what they’ve started over the last three seasons. The next step is to turn regular season success into postseason success – the story of the Vikings franchise. O’Connell received the Coach of the Year award in 2024, and the Vikings have the right guy at the helm. This is his first job as an HC, and he’s learning as he goes — including making mistakes along the way. Vikings fans should be excited to see this journey continue, and I’m confident things will get even better going forward.
The Potential Begining of the J.J. McCarthy Era
Vikings fans have clamored for the Vikings to draft their QB of the future for years. The last first-round QB Minnesota selected was Teddy Bridgewater back in 2014. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah answered that call in 2024, selecting J.J. McCarthy as the 10th overall pick. McCarthy became the fifth QB selected by the purple team in franchise history.
The waters have been muddied by McCarthy missing his rookie season through injury, and Sam Darnold had a better-than-expected season in his stead. I firmly believe that Minnesota should stick with plan A and go with McCarthy. The Vikings have the beginning of a very good roster and should look to fill that out this offseason and give their young QB his chance to flourish. Rather than put a significant chunk of the team’s resources into paying Darnold to return.
Loads of Salary Cap Space
For the first time in what seems like an eternity, general manager Kewsi Adofo-Mensah has lots of salary cap space to play with. In recent seasons, we’ve been working out how the Vikings can get into a positive salary cap situation at this time of year. Not this season. The Vikings have $58 million to play with as a starting point, meaning fans can dream of big-name free-agency acquisitions. Adofo-Mensah and his team recruited very well last season, and if they can do the same with a bigger war chest at their disposal, it will bode well for the 2025 Vikings.
Brian Flores Returns
Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores was in the head coach conversation during this year’s cycle and had several interviews. Whether it’s because teams preferred younger or offensive-minded candidates or the cloud from Flores’ time as HC of the Miami Dolphins still hangs over him. Flores was unsuccessful in his bid to become an HC again, which is the Vikings’ gain.
Flores has got the most he could out of a poor defensive group in his first year in Minnesota and then more out of an improved group last year. The Vikings relied a lot on disguise and blitzes during Flores’ time as DC because the Vikings didn’t have enough players to win one-on-one matchups across the defense. With the potential to add more quality pieces to the defense, Year 3 should be the best yet for Flores and his group.
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