Vikings Bye Week Delivers These Juicy Storylines
The Minnesota Vikings have eked out a 3-2 record before the annual bye week, a commendable feat as injuries have severely permeated the franchise. Several storylines will unfold until Minnesota’s next game, so consider this publication a preview of those.
It’s time for the Minnesota Vikings’ bye week, as the team has compiled a 3-2 record so far in 2025. Here’s the stuff to monitor for two weeks.
The Vikings’ next game is 12 days away, a meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles, who lost to the Denver Broncos in Week 5.
Main Storylines for the Vikings’ Bye Week
All you need to know about the next 12 days.
5. The Trade Deadline Looms
Every year since general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah took the big job in 2022, he’s finagled a trade before the league’s deadline (Cam Akers, Cam Robinson, Joshua Dobbs, and T.J. Hockenson). A trade may not materialize in the next two weeks, but folks will scour the depth chart high and low to determine what player or position Minnesota might covet this go-round.
The obvious choice is offensive line depth, after the Vikings have played games in 2025 without Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, Ryan Kelly, and Donovan Jackson — all starters.
The club could also stand to use another high-profile cornerback, because, ask yourself: What would happen if Isaiah Rodgers or Byron Murphy Jr. got hurt? Yikes.
Offensive linemen like Evan Neal (New York Giants) and Trevor Penning (New Orleans Saints) have been mentioned in the rumor mill to date. So has Seattle Seahawks corner Tariq Woolen.
It’s worth noting that Minnesota has a mostly full draft capital piggybank to spend on trades — unlike last year at this time.
4. The Incoming Schedule Gauntlet
Here’s what the Vikings must navigate after the bye:
- Week 7: Philadelphia Eagles
- Week 8: at Los Angeles Chargers (TNF)
- Week 9: at Detroit Lions
- Week 10: vs. Baltimore Ravens
- Week 11: vs. Chicago Bears
- Week 12: at Green Bay Packers
- Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks
- Week 14: vs. Washington Commanders
- Week 15: at Dallas Cowboys (TNF)
- Week 16: at New York Giants
- Week 17: vs. Detroit Lions (TNF, Christmas)
- Week 18: vs. Green Bay Packers
That is a vicious docket, so ample time will be spent by fans pondering the Eagles, Chargers, Lions, and Ravens. The mushy part of the team’s schedule is in the rearview. Sadly.
3. Brian O’Neill’s Sprained MCL Status
Brian O’Neill sprained his MCL in Ireland while his team lost to Mike Tomlin’s Pittsburgh Steelers. It took a bit over a day to determine O’Neill’s specific injury, and thankfully, he lucked out with a sprain, not a tear.
Still, O’Neill may not return anytime soon, and fans will use the bye week to ascertain clues about his reemergence. Here’s what the world knows so far:
- O’Neill has an MCL sprain with an unknown severity.
- O’Neill was not placed on injured reserve; he could be back sooner than the four games missed.
- O’Neill was not among the names mentioned by Kevin O’Connell that will return to practice next week.
2. Who’s Back from Injury for Week 7?
Never mind O’Neill’s injury for a moment; the Vikings have others with injuries. Many others.
In a win over the Cleveland Browns last weekend, Minnesota did not have these starters on the field:
- Blake Cashman (ILB)
- Donovan Jackson (LG)
- Aaron Jones (RB)
- Ryan Kelly (C)
- J.J. McCarthy (QB)
- Brian O’Neill (RT)
- Andrew Van Ginkel (OLB)
Cashman, Jackson, and McCarthy appear to be on a track to return for Week 7 against the Eagles, based on O’Connell’s return-to-practice announcement on Monday.
The rest have unclear statuses, and soon, all eyes will focus on news about Jones, Kelly, and Van Ginkel.
1. J.J. McCarthy, the Human in General
Want to know the Vikings’ top storylines? It’s straightforward: Will J.J. McCarthy play in Week 7 after the bye? And if McCarthy does not play in that game, how soon will he be back?
O’Connell told reporters on Monday that McCarthy would resume practice next week, possibly putting him on track to start versus Philadelphia.
His replacement, Carson Wentz, has helped guide the team to two wins and a loss, but Wentz very visibly has a limited ceiling. He’s pretty nifty for a backup quarterback; he is not nifty as a Top 10 quarterback.
With McCarthy, the hope is for O’Connell to groom and sculpt a Top 10 passer, in time. He doesn’t have that in Wentz, so getting McCarthy’s development back on track is paramount.
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