Minnesota Vikings official 2017 preseason schedule released

Fans of the team now know when their favorite squad will hit the field at U.S. Bank Stadium for the first time with their 2017 roster.

It has been way too long already since the last time the Minnesota Vikings were playing in an actual football game (and even longer since the last time they played in a meaningful game). But on Monday, the NFL released the official dates and times for its 2017 preseason schedule and Vikings football now seems that much closer.

Week 1:

August 10-13 (date and time TBD) 

at Buffalo Bills

Week 2:

August 18-20 (date and time TBD)

at Seattle Seahawks

Week 3:

Sunday, August 27: 8 p.m. ET (NBC)

vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week 4:

Minnesota Vikings

Thursday, August 31 (time TBD)

vs. Miami Dolphins

Minnesota will begin their preseason with a trip to Buffalo to face the Bills and their new head coach in Sean McDermott. The Vikings second preseason game also has them traveling as they will head to the Pacific Northwest to play the Seattle Seahawks.

The first 2017 preseason game at U.S. Bank Stadium will be shown nationwide on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” when Minnesota hosts the San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings will stay in Minnesota for their fourth and final preseason game of 2017 and play against the Miami Dolphins.

The Vikings’ home matchups with the 49ers and Dolphins are the only preseason games with official dates that has been announced. For their other two preseason matchups, the official dates and times are still to be determined.

Next: Evaluating the Vikings' last six second-round picks

Only three full months until Minnesota is back out on the football field. It might even begin before Adrian Peterson signs with a new team.