Training Camp Schedule Unveiled for Vikings
You know the Minnesota Vikings’ summer is about to turn white-hot when training camp details hit the digital stratosphere.
And just like that, the details for Vikings 2025 training camp are here.
Minnesota has spent the 2025 offseason building the offensive and defensive trenches, promoting J.J. McCarthy to QB1, and extending the contracts of leaders general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell, among other notable developments.
And they’ll see the fruits of their labor in less than three months when the regular season kicks off. Now, training camp details are here.
Vikings Training Camp Details Are Here
Star Tribune‘s Ben Goessling tweeted Tuesday, “The Vikings will hold 12 open practices during training camp, beginning on July 26 and concluding on Aug. 13-14, when the Patriots are in Eagan for joint practices. Tickets for practices are available today on the team website.”
The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis provided more specifics: “The Vikings announced some training camp info. — 12 open practices — Back together weekend: July 26 — First padded practice: July 28 — Night practice: Aug. 4.”
You can purchase camp tickets here.
The Notable Night Practice
One highlight each summer — when rain doesn’t ruin the festivities — is the famous Night Practice. It’s the one time all camp where the team scrimmages under the lights of primetime, and the club typically has fireworks at the end of the event.
Folks can also avoid, to an extent, the sometimes dreadful Minnesota sun and heat with the Night Practice outing.
This year, that’s on August 4th.
An 8.5-Win Forecast for the Season
Last summer, Vegas predicted Minnesota to win six or seven games, mainly because oddsmakers didn’t trust Sam Darnold one bit. Minnesota finished the year with a 14-3 record, vastly outperforming the pathetic prognosis from sportsbooks.
This go-round, the Vikings are expected to win eight or nine games, a more respectable prediction after the powers that be struggled miserably with the 2024 forecast.
Vegas believes the Detroit Lions will win the NFC North, followed by the Green Bay Packers in second place, with Minnesota and the Chicago Bears evidently vying for third place.
Top Vikings Training Camp Storylines
Like every year, training camp will bring oodles of storylines. You can peek at those here.
The main plots to monitor, in summary, will be J.J. McCarthy’s game-readiness. That is — is the 22-year-old ready to lead a Super Bowl-contending football team as early as now? Left tackle Christian Darrisaw is battling back from an ACL tear, with new evidence suggesting he could be ready for Week 1.
Safety Josh Metellus needs a contract extension. That should hit the books before too long. And newcomer cornerback Isaiah Rodgers is in line to be trusted with starting cornerback duty, which fans will get a boots-on-the-ground view at camp.
PPTSD on Training Camp’s Golden Boy, J.J. McCarthy
Regarding McCarthy, the Vikings’ one big hope for the future, PurplePTSD‘s Janik Eckardt dropped some knowledge this week.
He wrote, “The young passer is coming off a lost season due to his season-ending knee injury suffered in last year’s preseason. Although he is technically not a rookie anymore, the number of reps still puts him in that category, despite the mental reps he was able to take during his recovery.”
“This offseason has been a significant part of his learning experience, and he was once again able to showcase his skills in mandatory minicamp. Counting numbers like completions, touchdowns, and interceptions is useless at this time of the year, especially with head coach Kevin O’Connell always mentioning that those workouts are just part of the learning phase and players should take chances and test their limits.”
The young Wolverine will be front and center — above all else — at camp as he’ll be the first purple and gold quarterback in team history drafted in the Top 10 to start a game.
Eckardt continued, “McCarthy has 12 weeks remaining until the scheduled first start of his NFL career at Soldier Field against the Chicago Bears with new head coach Ben Johnson. His most significant advantage is that O’Connell is in his corner, who has squeezed every ounce of talent out of his quarterbacks. Darnold was headed for career backup duties prior to his work in KOC’s QB school.”
“Josh Dobbs has gotten back-to-back QB2 gigs because of his two-week run in Minnesota, and Kirk Cousins got a ridiculous contract from the Falcons despite a torn Achilles because he played at an MVP level before his injury. Another positive is that Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison will be among his targets with T.J. Hockenson roaming in the middle of the field. The improved offensive line helps, too.”
Training camp tickets don’t typically sell like hot cakes, but it can’t hurt to lock them down now.
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