Vikings Find Unlikely Ally in Quest for Super Bowl
The Minnesota Vikings have carefully used the last four offseasons to arrive at this moment.
The Vikings have never won a Super Bowl, but one notable personality believes that will change.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah took over the team in 2022, following the terminations of Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer, vowing to competitively rebuild the franchise.
And that’s what he did.
Adofo-Mensah got rid of aging, expensive veterans, almost one by one, while achieving salary cap flexibility and drafting his quarterback of the future, J.J. McCarthy, in 2024.
Now, the Vikings have an unlikely voice advocating for their Super Bowl contendership — FanDuel‘s Kay Adams.
Kay Adams Says Vikings Can Win the Super Bowl
Adams spoke with former NFLer Chris Simms this week, who works for NBC Sports, and the two discussed the Vikings, along with McCarthy.
In short, both are sold on McCarthy, and Adams loves the Vikings, in general.
“I think they’re gonna win the Super Bowl,” Adams told Simms.
Simms then heaped praise on McCarthy, quite the hype as Simms is famously pretty accurate with quarterback rankings, especially before a draft.
Adams said about McCarthy, “I met him and, just like a total fan, just fell for him. I met him down in Mayakoba at the NFLPA Classic, and I go ‘oh, you are a winner.’ And just how Case Keenum was talking about him, how Harrison Smith was talking about him. The OGs. Adam Thielen, the way he was speaking to me. I bought every stock.”
She then went on a retweet spree, defending her bold prediction. Responding to the idea of Minnesota winning the chip, she tweeted, “What’s the excuse for the Vikings to not?”
Some X users skewered Adams’ take because McCarthy hasn’t taken a regular season snap in his young career. She replied, “Seeing a lot of this. They coulda brought in a guy who’s played a lot of snaps. Window, now. No excuses.”
Adams also explained why Minnesota is a contender in her estimation: “Great offensive mind, cast on offense, Jefferson in his prime, rebuilt OL, aggressive defense .. What are we doing??”
When social media users seemed dumbfounded by her declaration, she went out of her way to essentially ask, “Why not the Vikings?”
It’s worth noting that Adams isn’t some big Vikings homer. She’s just impressed with the current state of play in the Twin Cities.
The Infrastructure Is There
Truth be told, Minnesota has every asset on its depth chart to effectuate a Super Bowl push. It all boils down to McCarthy’s NFL readiness.
The defense ranked second leaguewide per ERA/Play in 2024. Check. The offensive line underwent total upheaval — in a good way with the additions of Will Fries, Ryan Kelly, and Donovan Jackson. Check. The team won 14 games last year with Sam Darnold. Check. The offensive playmakers are there: Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson, Aaron Jones, and Jordan Mason. Check.
Too, Kevin O’Connell just won the NFL’s Coach of the Year award. Check.
Why not the Vikings?
The Infamous Drought
Minnesota arrived on the scene in 1961, and since the Super Bowl debuted, the club has the league’s fourth-best win percentage in the regular season. What it doesn’t have is a Super Bowl, losing four in the 1960s and 1970s, and, somewhat lately, losing five consecutive NFC Championships.
When someone says the purple team can win the Super Bowl, it’s a bit outlandish. It doesn’t jibe with history.
J.J. McCarthy as the Fulcrum
To reiterate, Minnesota as a bonafide Super Bowl aspirer in 2025 rests on McCarthy’s shoulders. Folks know the defense will be there, O’Connell will do his part, and the playmakers are plentiful.
The franchise doesn’t need McCarthy to become an All-Pro performer immediately, but if he played clean football from September to February, Minnesota would have a puncher’s chance at a championship.
Or — if McCarthy doesn’t vaporize like his predecessor, Sam Darnold, in the playoffs, that might help as well.
But make no mistake: in 2025 and beyond, Minnesota turning into a February threat is a referendum on McCarthy’s maturation.
PurplePTSD’s Take
At our affiliate, PurplePTSD.com, Janik Eckardt recently called McCarthy a “hinge” in the 2025 season.
He argued, “Sam Darnold left for Seattle, Daniel Jones for Indianapolis, and long-time backup Nick Mullens for Jacksonville. The Vikings will presumably give the QB1 job to sophomore J.J. McCarthy. Although they haven’t come out and said it, that’s pretty much the obvious outcome.”
“McCarthy is a proven winner. He won two state championships in high school and a national championship in college. At Michigan, McCarthy was a fantastic quarterback in a run-first offense. He wasn’t asked to carry the load, but he was frequently asked to save drives on third downs and mostly did just that.”
McCarthy turned 22 in January, so the Vikings have a long, long way to go with the guy.
Eckardt added, “The sophomore has all the tools to succeed at the NFL level, too, but early injuries have derailed many careers, and countless other talented players just didn’t translate to the NFL. It’s also worth noting that a first-year starter isn’t guaranteed to be a Pro Bowler anyway.”
“All of that combined is enough reason for concern. The good news is that McCarthy has drawn praise from every coach and teammate who has gotten the chance to talk into a mic ever since he was drafted, and there’s no reason to expect him to fail in a wonderful offense and with Kevin O’Connell calling the shots. If he doesn’t live up to the expectations, there’s no real alternative in place. It’s hard to envision Sam Howell leading a deep playoff run.”
Minnesota has the sport’s 12th-best Super Bowl odds as of May with a +2800 moneyline.
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