Everything appeared to fall in place for the Minnesota Vikings in 2024 until the season's final two games. The 2025 season is not looking as bright as the 2024 season was.
Minnesota finished with an impressive 14-3 record, which would have been typically a one or two seed in the playoffs, but a Week 18 loss to the Lions cost them the NFC North division title and forced them on the road for the Wild Card. A blowout loss to the Rams in the Wild Card ended what was a magical run for Minnesota.
The Vikings went right to work with nearly $300 million spent on free agency and giving quarterback J.J. McCarthy the keys to the franchise. With just five selections in the 2025 NFL Draft, Minnesota is all set for another successful run in the playoffs. At least some don't have that same belief.
Minnesota Vikings projected to finish the 2025 NFL season with an 8-9 record
Bleacher Report writer Moe Moton shared his win-loss projections of all 32 NFL teams for the 2025 season. Vikings fans will have to turn away for this, but Moton had them finish with an 8-9 record and not in the playoffs.
The biggest reason for the drop: McCarthy's inexperience.
"The Vikings have the supporting cast to prop up a young quarterback, and their defense can help them win low-scoring games, but this team will regress with a first-year starter under center, perhaps more than most would expect after a 14-win campaign.
On the road, McCarthy will face stout defenses within the NFC North and in Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Los Angeles. Chargers lead skipper Jim Harbaugh coached him at Michigan and knows his weaknesses.
The Vikings come back to earth and drop out of the playoff picture in 2025."
While McCarthy has not stepped on an NFL field during the regular season, he is a proven winner who went 27-1 as a starter while playing for the Michigan Wolverines. He helped the Wolverines win a national championship during the 2023 season.
After being a top 10 pick to Minnesota, McCarthy gave Vikings fans a taste of how good he can be in a preseason game against the Las Vegas Raiders. He threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns to one interception in the game.
There will be a transition period at the beginning of the season with McCarthy, but Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell has already proven to be able to maximize his quarterbacks' potential. Sam Darnold was living proof that with low expectations came a resurgence in his career with his first Pro Bowl selection in 2024 with Minnesota.
McCarthy is loaded with talent on offense and defense. Anything short of a playoff appearance would be a surprise and a disappointment for a team set up to make a Super Bowl run now.
