Vikings Picked for Super Bowl
The 2025 NFL regular season begins on Thursday night, as the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles kick off the festivities.
Sports Illustrated has picked the Vikings for the Super Bowl, giving Minnesota an unexpected vote of confidence as the 2025 season nears.
Accordingly, fans and pundits are getting their last-minute Super Bowl predictions on record, and it just so happens that the Minnesota Vikings are in the conversation this go-round.
Per SI.com‘s Greg Bishop, Minnesota will represent the NFC in February against the Baltimore Ravens.
The Vikings Just Got a Super Bowl Shoutout
Ravens-Vikings could be coming to a Super Bowl near you.
SI Writer Plops Vikings in Super Bowl
SI.com revealed its comprehensive playoff and Super Bowl predictions this week, and Bishop chose Minnesota to advance into February.
He explained, “I like the Vikings. Kevin O’Connell is one of football’s brightest offensive minds. Minnesota’s roster is deep, balanced and absent an obvious concern — outside of the most obvious one.”
“The bet here is that O’Connell will shape J.J. McCarthy’s debut do-over and Justin Jefferson will seize the NFL’s top wideout slot en route to a season few see coming. The Chiefs, because of their makeup, will upend the typical Super Bowl hangover. But the decimation that was in New Orleans — along with so many recent seasons with extra games, injuries, travel, etc. — will finally dent K.C. before another Super Bowl.”
Minnesota last got remotely close to the big game in 2017 before losing in the NFC Championship to the Eagles.
“The Chiefs will still extend the Bills’ misery against them in the playoffs, only to run into Lamar Jackson and another Ravens team primed to win a Super Bowl. This time, that’ll happen. The bet here isn’t too reliant on who Baltimore added or retained this offseason, although Derrick Henry and Ronnie Stanley extensions don’t hurt, nor does rookie edge rusher Mike Green,” Bishop continued.
“No, this is about a franchise that built around its quarterback, that advanced in postseasons and still failed, that kept getting up and reconfiguring around No. 8, and that, ultimately, will find the ultimate payoff in 2025.”
Sadly, Bishop predicted the Ravens to win the chip.
A Depth Chart Mostly Worthy of Super Bowl Contention
While few are picking Minnesota to reach the Super Bowl, the depth chart is worthy of Super Bowl contention, especially in the trenches.
Long known for suspect interior offensive line play and underwhelming defensive tackle performance, Minnesota fixed the glitch(es) this offseason by signing Will Fries (G), Ryan Kelly (C), Jonathan Allen (DT), and Javon Hargrave (DT) in free agency, in addition to drafting Donovan Jackson (G) in Round 1 from Ohio State.
In a span of six weeks, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah repaired and fortified his trenches, and most of the time, top-tier OLs and DLs are required for deep playoff pushes. Minnesota also has playmakers galore in Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Adam Thielen, T.J. Hockenson, Aaron Jones, and Jordan Mason.
The only iffy spot on the depth chart might be cornerback.
J.J. McCarthy as the Inexperienced Driver
Then, there’s the McCarthy factor.
McCarthy has never played a single snap in the NFL after tearing his meniscus as a rookie, and the purple team will turn to him for command of a Super Bowl-worthy depth chart. He may be ready — he may struggle like many 22-year-old signal-callers of yesteryear.
Overall, most agree that McCarthy and Minnesota can thrive if he avoids a bevy of habitual mistakes. And, yes — that means fumbles and interceptions.
How Would the Fan Base Handle a SB Loss?
With Bishop picking a loss for O’Connell’s team in the Super Bowl, the question emerges: Would fans be content with such a loss? Would the season be considered successful? Or would the team’s faithful roll into the offseason with a 0-5 Super Bowl record on the brain?
Perhaps older fans would voice disgruntlement, with the new generation excited about the overall team trajectory.
More from Greg Bishop
Bishop also opined on the NFL as a whole. He wrote, “The NFC, in particular, is fascinating this year. In the AFC, there are the established contenders (Kansas City, albeit after a Super Bowl lashing, Buffalo and Baltimore), a few teams I see as a year at least from truly contending for a championship and what appears to be a lot of steaming, hot garbage football ahead.”
“The Texans, Bengals and Broncos land in the second tier of the NFL’s best teams for me, while much of the rest of that conference falls toward the bottom. Here’s an exercise: Put the usual suspects at the top.”
Oddsmakers believe the Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles will meet in Super Bowl LX.
Bishop added, “Then put the bulk of the AFC near the end. The NFC starts after the powerhouse trio and makes up most of the back-end of the top tier and most of the middle tiers, period. Within that, there are incredibly strong and well-balanced divisions with clear favorites, multiple — looking at you, NFC East, NFC North, NFC West.”
“This made it difficult to sort the NFC, because who wins the East and the North in particular will dictate what happens with the playoff bracket.”
The Vikings haven’t reached the Super Bowl in 49 years.
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