Vikings could kick off the 2018 season against the Eagles
By Adam Patrick
With the Philadelphia Eagles winning Super Bowl LII on Sunday, the first game of the 2018 season could be a NFC Championship rematch against the Minnesota Vikings.
It was a tough sight to see on Sunday for the Minnesota Vikings and their fans as the Philadelphia Eagles celebrated the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl win on the Vikings’ home field at U.S. Bank Stadium. If they were able to defeat the Eagles in the NFC Championship two weeks ago, it could have been Minnesota celebrating with purple and yellow confetti falling from the rafters on Sunday.
However, the Vikings may get an opportunity for a small bit of redemption next season when they head to Philadelphia for a showdown with the current Super Bowl champions. The Eagles are one of Minnesota’s eight road opponents for 2018 and it’s very possible that this matchup could be selected to kick off the year as the NFL’s annual opening Thursday night football game.
Minnesota Vikings
Typically, the winner of the Super Bowl kicks off the following season at home against either a rival or an opponent they met during the previous season’s playoff run. Will the league have Philadelphia begin the 2018 season with a game against an opponent from the NFC East or will they instead opt for an Eagles 2017 playoff rematch against either the Vikings or Atlanta Falcons?
One factor that may come into play in making this decision could be who Minnesota selects to be their starting quarterback for next season.
If the Vikings are able to lure former Washington Redskins signal caller Kirk Cousins to their team, then it seems pretty likely that Minnesota and Philadelphia would be selected for the kick off game. But if the Vikings choose to bring back Case Keenum or Teddy Bridgewater in 2018, then the NFL might be more inclined to have the Eagles take on the Falcons or Dallas Cowboys to open next season.
Next: Kirk Cousins could be what the Vikings need
Last year, the league released the schedule on April 20. Expect to find out around the same time in 2018 if Minnesota will be opening next season with an NFC Championship rematch.