Inside The Vikings

Live updates: Tracking Minnesota Vikings schedule leaks and rumors

Will it be the Viking against an NFC North rival to open the season? A Christmas Day home game?
Feb 2, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Minnesota Vikings mascot Viktor during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Feb 2, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Minnesota Vikings mascot Viktor during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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The NFL schedule release for the 2025 season is Wednesday, but some leaks and rumors have been funneled down the social media pipelines. Only some of the details of the schedule have been confirmed, but we know for certain who the Vikings are playing in 2025.

  • Home: Bears, Lions, Packers, Eagles, Commanders, Falcons, Ravens, Bengals
  • Road: Bears, Lions, Packers, Cowboys, Giants, Seahawks, Browns, Steelers, Chargers

Regardless, the rumors and leaks are already happening and we're here to track it all.

Follow Bring Me The Sports on NewsBreak to track all things Minnesota sports.

Week 1: Vikings at Bears on MNF

According to various reports, the Vikings will open the season at Soldier Field on Monday Night Football against Caleb Williams and the Bears. That'll be quite the NFL debut for Illinois native J.J. McCarthy.

Week 2: TBD

Week 3: Vikings vs. Bengals

The rumor is that the Vikings will get an early-season visit from Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and the Bengals in Week 3, kicking off a stretch of three straight AFC North games.

Week 4: Vikings at Steelers in Dublin

This long-rumored game is confirmed: Minnesota will kick off against the Steelers at historic Croke Park in Ireland at 8:30 a.m. CT.

Week 5: Vikings at Browns in London

Also confirmed. Again, this one will start at 8:30 a.m. CT and be televised on NFL Network. The Vikings will be the first team in NFL history to play consecutive international games in different countries.

Week 6: TBD

Week 7: Vikings hosting defending champs

The Vikings will host Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, and the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 7, according to Wide Left's Arif Hasan.

Week 8: Thursday against the Chargers?

There's a rumor on social media that the Vikings and Chargers will meet on Thursday Night Football in Week 18. That matchup will feature J.J. McCarthy against his Michigan coach, Jim Harbaugh.

Week 9: TBD

Week 10: TBD

Week 11: Vikings vs. Bears

The Vikings will host the Bears in the rematch between the two teams on Nov. 16, per Ben Goessling.

Week 12: TBD

Week 13: Not Da Bears or the Eagles

The Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles, both of whom the Vikings have on the schedule, will face off on Black Friday on Nov. 28, so the Vikings will not face their NFC North rival nor the defending champs during the week of Thanksgiving.

Week 14: TBD

Week 15: TBD

Week 16: Vikings at Giants

The Vikings are heading to New York (well, New Jersey) to take on the Giants in Week 16, according to Art Stapleton.

Week 17: Christmas Day home game vs. Lions

It was first rumored by KFAN's Paul Lambert that the Vikings would play a home game on Thursday, Dec. 25. Now the Star Tribune's Ben Goessling is reporting that it'll be a massive divisional showdown against the Lions, the reigning NFC North champs.

Week 18: Vikings vs. Packers?

The last time the Vikings didn't end the regular season with a game against a division opponent was in 2009, when they whipped the Giants 44-7 under the guidance of Brett Favre at quarterback. The Chicago Tribune is reporting that the Bears and Lions will play in Week 18, which indicates it'll be Minnesota and Green Bay to wrap things up. It'll be very interesting to see where that game takes place, considering the weather conditions that could be in play if it's at Lambeau Field.

Vikings news, rumors and analysis


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Joe Nelson
JOE NELSON

Joe Nelson has more than 20 years of experience in Minnesota sports journalism. Nelson began his career in sports radio, working at smaller stations in Marshall and St. Cloud before moving to the highly-rated KFAN-FM 100.3 in the Twin Cities. While there, he produced the popular mid-morning show hosted by Minnesota Vikings play-by-play announcer Paul Allen. His time in radio laid the groundwork for his transition to sports writing in 2011. He covers the Vikings, Timberwolves, Gophers and Twins for On SI.

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