When it comes to the Minnesota Vikings and the other 31 teams in the league, the NFL loves to push the narrative of games in order to add a little extra emphasis to contests.
Sometimes, an obvious storyline is overlooked and isn't pushed to the front of the headlines to turn a game into a marquee matchup.
Experts and the media love to push those stories of a player returning to face their former team or a coach who left one organization to lead another. However, Vikings fans will notice that one key matchup isn't getting that attention on the team's 2025 schedule.
Sam Darnold leading the Seattle Seahawks against the Minnesota Vikings won't be a primetime game
Quarterback Sam Darnold was a breakout player for Minnesota last year. He posted career-high numbers across the board and led the team to 14 wins and a playoff berth during the 2024 NFL season.
At the end of the season, Darnold left the Vikings in free agency. He signed a contract with the Seattle Seahawks. The three-year deal worth $100.5 million allows him to prove that his success in Minnesota wasn't a fluke.
Darnold's return could have easily been marketed as a "revenge" game and put into a primetime slot to get more eyes on it. The Week 13 game is a late-afternoon contest on November 30 that could be one of the most-watched games of the week.
The Vikings moved on from Darnold this offseason to give second-year quarterback J.J. McCarthy the keys to the team and put him in the starting role. Had McCarthy not sustained a knee injury in the preseason last year, Darnold may not have had the opportunity to have the breakout season that he did.
It isn't as though the Vikings are lacking high-profile games this season. Their 2025 schedule includes four primetime games, one holiday game, and two international contests. Those games will be seen by many football fans around the world.
However, it is curious that Minnesota's contest against the Seahawks isn't one of those primetime games because of the narrative behind it. Sure, the Vikings' games against the Chicago Bears, Atlanta Falcons, Los Angeles Chargers, and Dallas Cowboys in prime time are fantastic, but they don't have the oomph that a matchup against Darnold could offer.
Coming off a 14-win season, it's not a surprise that Minnesota is getting a lot of love from the NFL. However, the league's decision not to highlight their game against Seattle is an interesting one.
