The Minnesota Vikings surprised a lot of fans and experts last season by winning 14 games and earning a spot in the postseason despite being a team in transition that could have struggled to find their footing if not for great coaching and huge playmakers.
Minnesota continues their transition this season by having a new starting quarterback in J.J. McCarthy and having a huge number of defensive backs not return to the team for the 2025 campaign.
Much like last season, it's hard to know what to expect from the Vikings this season, but one thing for sure is that expecting the team to repeat their win total from 2024 would be unrealistic for fans to believe.
The tough schedule the Minnesota Vikings face during the upcoming season won't help. nor will the fact that the team only plays eight of their 17 games this season at home in front of fans at U.S. Bank Stadium.
This prediction for the 2025 NFL season will fill Minnesota Vikings fans with rage
The Minnesota Vikings could be a more well-rounded team than last year but still win fewer games. 14 wins may not be likely for the team this year, but they should still be competitive in fighting for a playoff spot.
NFL Spin Zone's Lou Scataglia published a piece about what teams will be disappointing during the 2025 NFL season, and the Minnesota Vikings are one of the teams believed to be destined to let their fans down.
The major reason for predicting disappointment is that the Vikings will have a starting quarterback in J.J. McCarthy who has never thrown a regular season pass in the NFL and will take some lumps during this season.
"JJ McCarthy hasn't played a regular season game and is returning from a major knee injury - he is absolutely going to take his lumps as a de-facto rookie in this league. And he's also just 22 years old, so his youth should indicate that he might not be as far along as other young QBs in this league. I am not necessarily saying that he's going to be bad, but the Vikes will struggle to win 10 games in 2025."NFL Spin Zone's Lou Scataglia
McCarthy will be a player to watch for the Vikings this season, but Minnesota has done so much to make his time at quarterback easier. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah bolstered the offensive line and used the team's third-round draft pick on a wide receiver.
Fans expecting the Minnesota Vikings to match or surpass their 14-win total from last season will likely be disappointed this year. However, when looking at the big picture, the purple and gold will be a better and more consistent team once McCarthy gets some NFL experience under his belt. But fans shouldn't measure success in 2025 by the overall win total.