J.J. McCarthy has a long, difficult stretch in the 2025 season.
The 2025 Minnesota Vikings schedule has finally been released, and the team now knows when the biggest tests will be for the team and their new starting quarterback, J.J. McCarthy.
After losing all of 2024 with a knee injury, McCarthy enters his first season as the starter. The Vikings selected him in the first round last year for this moment. He has learned the playbook and now must show he can do the job.
While the first part of the schedule will ease McCarthy into the job, it's after the bye week that will test him.
When will J.J. McCarthy have the chance to prove his worth on the 2025 Minnesota Viking schedule?
After Minnesota's Week 6 bye week next season, McCarthy might face his biggest test of the year as he will go up against the defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles. The following seven weeks won't get any easier for the young Vikings quarterback, as illustrated in the list below that begins with the Eagles matchup.
- Week 7: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
- Week 8: at Los Angeles Chargers
- Week 9: at Detroit Lions
- Week 10: vs. Baltimore Ravens
- Week 11: vs. Chicago Bears
- Week 12: at Green Bay Packers
- Week 13: at Seattle Seahawks
- Week 14: vs. Washington Commanders
Six of their first eight opponents after the Vikings' bye week were all playoff teams in 2024. Two of those matchups will require Minnesota to fly across the country to Los Angeles and Seattle.
The Seahawks game will be a key matchup in McCarthy's young career as he goes up against the man who held the starting job in Minnesota last year, Sam Darnold. Vikings fans will have a chance to see why the team chose to let Darnold walk and go with McCarthy.
McCarthy will face six teams whose defenses were ranked in the top 15 in total defense last year. This includes the Eagles' defense, which was first in that category in 2024.
This stretch also includes three crucial NFC North games, with the two toughest, the Lions and Packers, being on the road. McCarthy will get his first taste of facing aggressive defenses in hostile environments.
There is nothing fun about this stretch, as most would look at it and think that even a 4-4 record in that span would be a massive win for the Vikings. If McCarthy can get Minnesota through that stretch with a winning record, watch out for the Vikings to be in playoff contention and in line to win the division.
