Inside The Vikings

Schedule leak: Vikings to open 2025 season in Chicago on Monday night

J.J. McCarthy's first NFL start will reportedly be against the Bears on MNF in Week 1.
Will Ragatz|
Nov 24, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) runs after a catch against the Chicago Bears during overtime at Soldier Field.
Nov 24, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson (18) runs after a catch against the Chicago Bears during overtime at Soldier Field. | Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images

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How's this for J.J. McCarthy's first career start? According to multiple leaks/rumors/reports, the Vikings will open the 2025 NFL season with a trip to Chicago to play the Bears on Monday Night Football.

That would mean McCarthy, a native of La Grange Park, IL (about 14 miles west of Soldier Field) would make his NFL regular season debut in front of all kinds of family and friends not far from his hometown. And he'd do it under the lights, with the entire country watching, against a division rival with last year's No. 1 overall pick and a highly-anticipated new head coach.

Nothing should be considered official until the schedule is released by the league on Wednesday night, but there's enough steam behind this one that it seems pretty safe to trust.

The last time the Vikings opened the season against the Bears was in 2002 at Soldier Field — a game Chicago won on a go-ahead touchdown pass with 30 seconds left. The last Vikings-Bears MNF game in Chicago was a 17-9 Minnesota win in 2021.

Assuming it happens, this would be quite the opener. You've got McCarthy's debut, the unveiling of a new-look Vikings offensive line (though perhaps without Christian Darrisaw), and the first look at Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave in the middle of the Vikings' defensive line. On the other side, it's Ben Johnson's first game as the Bears head coach and the start of what Chicago hopes is a huge second season for Caleb Williams (who also will have a brand new interior offensive line in front of him).

Playing in Chicago in early September also likely removes a potential bad-weather game from the slate.

In addition to MNF, the Vikings are rumored to play on Thursday night against the Chargers and on Sunday night against the Falcons this season, in addition to two international games and a Christmas Day home game against the Lions. We're tracking all of the leaks and rumors here throughout the day.

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Will Ragatz
WILL RAGATZ

Will Ragatz is a senior writer for Vikings On SI, who also covers the Twins, Timberwolves, Gophers, and other Minnesota teams. He is a credentialed Minnesota Vikings beat reporter, covering the team extensively at practices, games and throughout the NFL draft and free agency period. Ragatz attended Northwestern University, where he studied at the prestigious Medill School of Journalism. During his time as a student, he covered Northwestern Wildcats football and basketball for SB Nation’s Inside NU, eventually serving as co-editor-in-chief in his junior year. In the fall of 2018, Will interned in Sports Illustrated’s newsroom in New York City, where he wrote articles on Major League Baseball, college football, and college basketball for SI.com.

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