Vikings Schedule Release Is Coming — Here’s Who They’ll Face
The NFL schedule release is about one month away, and thankfully, the Minnesota Vikings’ opponents are already known. The world is just waiting for the order.
Minnesota knows the who for 2026, and now the wait is on for dates, kickoff times, and possible international twists.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter said this week, “Circle your calendars for the week of May 11th. I would think that we’ll get a schedule release announcement sometime around May 12th, May 13th, or May 14th. Somewhere between Tuesday the 12th and Thursday the 14th.”
He followed the declaration with a tweet: “This year’s NFL schedule release could be coming sometime between Tuesday May 12 and Thursday May 14.”
Several Matchups Already Stand Out on Minnesota’s Slate
Here’s who Minnesota will face.
The Road
There’s no mystery here; the Vikings will play these teams on the road, no matter what:
- San Francisco 49ers
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Chicago Bears
- New York Jets
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- New England Patriots
- New Orleans Saints
Vikings fans will get their first in-person look at Drake Maye, the quarterback Minnesota reportedly considered in the 2024 draft, and Saints quarterback Tyler Shough — if they’re both healthy.
This year also marks the Vikings’ first return to San Francisco since 2021, a historically challenging road trip. Moreover, the road game against New Orleans remains a heated matchup for Vikings fans, who are still feeling the sting of the NFC Championship 17 years ago.
At Home
Like the road docket, here’s the home slate, with the caveat that these are not in order:
- Chicago Bears
- Buffalo Bills
- Indianapolis Colts
- Washington Commanders
- Miami Dolphins
- Atlanta Falcons
- Detroit Lions
- Green Bay Packers
- Carolina Panthers
The Bills will be a major draw; Buffalo hasn’t played in Minnesota since 2018, when a rookie Josh Allen stunned the Vikings.
Miami is in a similar situation, also not having visited the Twin Cities since 2018. The Vikings could also see Tua Tagovailoa (as a Falcon) in action for the very first time; he was injured in 2022 when Minnesota toppled Miami at Hard Rock Stadium.
Then there’s Indianapolis. The Colts will make their third consecutive trip to Minnesota, carrying the baggage of their historic 2022 collapse.
The NFL’s International Schedule
The NFL will also furnish these games in international cities:
- London: Jaguars vs. TBD (Wembley Stadium)
- London: Jaguars vs. TBD (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
- Madrid: Falcons vs. TBD
- London: Commanders vs. TBD (Tottenham Hotspur Stadium)
- Melbourne: Rams vs. 49ers
- Mexico City: 49ers vs. TBD
- Munich: Lions vs. TBD
- Rio de Janeiro: Cowboys vs. TBD
- Paris: Saints vs. TBD
Mexico City, Paris, and Munich could be in play for the Vikings, while London is unlikely because they’ve played there twice in the last four years.
Oddsmakers’ Forecast for MIN
Heading into the draft — it’s two weeks away — sportsbooks expect the Vikings to win 8.5 games, which is a bit comical, as that forecast follows Minnesota virtually every offseason. Dating back to the Kirk Cousins era, Vegas looks at the Vikings’ roster and says, “Eight or nine wins sound about right.”
This go-round, Minnesota will have Kyler Murray at quarterback, signed for $1.3 million last month after the Arizona Cardinals kicked him out. It’s not often that a quarterback who averages approximately 4,000 passing yards, 30 total touchdowns, and 600 rushing yards every 17 starts becomes available for free, but that happened in 2026, and Murray is a Viking.
Fox Sports‘ Geoff Schwartz noted on the Vikings’ win prognosis last month, “Is Murray an excellent quarterback? Sometimes. He’s got the talent to be above average, but I know he’s better than what’s in the QB room for the Vikings currently. The Vikings have an outstanding coaching staff starting with head coach and primary play-caller, Kevin O’Connell.”
“He’s now got Murray with a good offensive line and Justin Jefferson at receiver. The Vikings’ offense should be in the upper half of the NFL and possibly a top-10 group. Last season, the Vikings’ defense finished third in DVOA. The year before that, it finished second. There’s no reason to believe 2026 will be any different.”
During the last three seasons in Arizona, Murray’s Cardinals defense ranked 30th per EPA/Play in the NFL, also known as third-worst. Murray is switching from the NFL’s third-worst defense to the third-best.
Schwartz continued, “Minnesota plays in a tough division, featuring the Lions, Packers and Bears. Those are six games that will be 50-50 based on whether the Vikes are home or away. Otherwise, their schedule is manageable. Minnesota plays the AFC East, with two easy games against the Jets and Dolphins.”
“It gets the NFC South, then the Colts, Commanders and 49ers. I like the Vikings to go Over their win total. PICK: Vikings Over 8.5 wins.”
Minnesota has opened the season on the road in the last two years — at New York (Giants) in 2024 and Chicago in 2025.
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