What Makes the 2025 Vikings More Dangerous Than You Think
The Minnesota Vikings surprised NFL experts — and even the team’s fans — by tallying a 14-3 record in 2024, led by Sam Darnold, who reclaimed in his career in the Twin Cities a season ago.
The 2025 Vikings might surprise the masses. Here’s why the 2025 team could be more dangerous than you think — with five big reasons as ammunition.
Darnold is gone now, however, leaving in free agency for the Seattle Seahawks. Minnesota will ride with J.J. McCarthy, the quarterback drafted by the team in 2024 from Round 1.
It will be a tall task to reach a 14-3 record again, but these are the reasons why the 2025 Vikings could be better than the 2024 squad — and maybe even avoid a faceplant in the playoffs. The list is counted down to the most significant way Minnesota could be better this season at No. 1.
The Vikings Can Be Better in 2025 than in 2024
5. Jordan Mason in the RB2
The one knock on running back Aaron Jones? Injury history. The veteran running back played all 17 games last year, which was phenomenal, but it also means that he’s probably due to miss some contests because of injury.
This time, the Vikings won’t rely on Ty Chandler or be forced to trade for Cam Akers. They’ll promote Jordan Mason, who performed magnificently last season in relief of San Francisco 49ers superstar Christian McCaffrey.
Mason will also help fix the Vikings’ dirty rushing touchdown woes, particularly near the goal line.
In short, the running backs in 2025 are better than the 2024 group.
PFF’s Dalton Wasserman wrote about the Vikings’ RB room this week, “Aaron Jones continues to age well, racking up more than 1,600 yards from scrimmage for Minnesota last season. He was also one of just nine qualified running backs to earn a 70.0-plus PFF grade as a rusher and receiver.”
“The Vikings recently added depth by trading for Jordan Mason, who recorded an outstanding 90.5 PFF rushing grade in three seasons in San Francisco. Third-stringer Ty Chandler struggled last season but posted a 76.3 PFF overall grade in 2023.”
Wasserman ranked the Vikings’ running back corps as the league’s 11th-best.
4. J.J. McCarthy Probably Won’t Collapse in Crunchtime
The Vikings had cruised through most of the 2024 campaign before Week 17 and the Wildcard Round. Quarterback Sam Darnold saved the worst for last, performing utterly ineffectively and almost by himself, causing the year’s premature end.
What are the odds that McCarthy, if Minnesota reaches the postseason, delivers the same individual collapse? Probably pretty low.
Minnesota would be snakebitten beyond belief if it employed back-to-back passers who vanished when it mattered the most. McCarthy’s crunchtime play in January likely won’t be as atrocious as Darnold’s.
3. Coaching Continuity
For yet another year, Minnesota will maintain coaching continuity, employing Kevin O’Connell at the top of the ticket, along with his main coordinators, Wes Phillips (offense) and Brian Flores (defense)
There was a time not long ago — the Mike Zimmer era — when the offensive coordinator would leave every offseason, via termination or promotion.
At least for one more go-round, that’s not the case in 2025.
Where the Surprises Start
2. New Defensive Tackles
Referencing the Mike Zimmer era again, and even bleeding into the first years of Kevin O’Connell’s reign, the Vikings never invested in an impactful three-technique defensive tackle. They opposed it. Kevin Williams was the last best example, and he left Minnesota in 2013.
But this time, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah added two such defensive tackles from free agency: Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave.
The 2025 defense could climb even higher, solely because the defensive line’s interior is indisputably more talented.
1. A Revamped Offensive Line
While fixing the iDL, Adofo-Mensah also signed guard Will Fries and center Ryan Kelly from the same team in free agency, the Indianapolis Colts. Most thought, “Hey, the offensive line is good to go. Blake Brandel can coexist at a decent level with these guys.” A fair assumption.
But then Adofo-Mensah drafted Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson in Round 1 three months ago.
The offensive trenches — that got pummeled in the playoffs last year — now feature the newcomers, Fries, Kelly, and Jackson, along with cornerstone offensive tackles, Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill.
The Vikings’ offensive line is much improved and the best it has showcased in years, if not decades.
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