The Minnesota Vikings shocked NFL pundits last season by winning 14 games and making the playoffs. Now, with Super Bowl in the rearview mirror the entire league is looking forward to the offseason… except the Philadelphia Eagles , who are enjoying parade festivities on Friday instead.
For the Vikings , offseason questions are aplenty. We know head coach Kevin O'Connell will be back , along with most of his assistants on both sides of the ball. The roster, on the other hand, is going to have a substantial amount of turnover .
Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Roster turnover leads to uncertainty. yes, the Minnesota Vikings got incredible performances from veteran free agents like Sam Darnold , Andrew Van Ginkel , Black Cashman and Jonathan Greenard in 2024, but replicating that success is far from guaranteed.
In fact, it will be quite difficult, which is why NFL insiders and experts Jeremy Fowler , Jason Reid and Mike Tannenbaum at ESPN project Minnesota to take at least a small step back in 2025.
Jeremy Fowler: "A slight step back. They will remain playoff-caliber, but it's tough to replicate a 14-win season when several key free agents are poised to leave and the offense could be breaking in a new quarterback."
Jason Reid: "So many things went right for them in 2024. It's difficult to imagine they will have as many things break their way, especially with a potential change at quarterback."
Mike Tannenbaum: " Sam Darnold played extremely well in 2024. But whether it's him or J.J. McCarthy as the starter in 2025, it will be hard to replicate that kind of quarterback success."
Few experts saw the MN Vikings making any sort of noise this season. They wound up being wrong. Will these experts be wrong again? That depends on what you view as a "step back". This is a team that won 14 games last season. The possibility to win more is limited, being only 17 games are played by each team in an NFL season.
Yes, they won those games with a bridge quarterback that cost just $10 million . Now, Sam Darnold is the most coveted free agent quarterback on the market. Therein lies the rub. Kevin O'Connell took a 27-year-old castaway and got him to throw for 4,300 yards and 35 touchdowns. It's KOC who makes the difference in MN, not Darnold.
Some Sam Darnold highlights to bless your timeline. pic.twitter.com/ybxFXF6Bjz
— VikingzFanPage (@vikingzfanpage) February 13, 2025
The brain trust that helped Darnold to succeed remains intact. The offensive weapons around Minnesota are still there. The cap space to add in the trenches is plentiful. There are a lot of positives currently trending in the Vikings direction.
Related: KOC Reveals Who was on Track to Win 2024 Vikings QB Battle
It's hard to know which direction Minnesota will lean at quarterback. J.J. McCarthy is ready to return as last season's first overall pick, and his preseason performance against the Raiders showed promise. His 188 yards and two touchdowns were just a glimpse as to what he may provide at the highest level.
Every throw from JJ McCarthy in his debut vs the Raiders @Vikings #Vikings pic.twitter.com/VzQNgPfc0J
— awthentik (@awthentik) August 11, 2024
Ultimately the Vikings must commit to a quarterback, and then things will fall in place from there. Again, it's beyond realistic to suggest that Minnesota will take a step back from a win-total perspective. It's also entirely reasonable to believe they'll be as good or a better team from a depth perception.
O'Connell has won 27 games in the two seasons in which he has had stable quarterback play. Health isn't to be taken for granted, but his leadership earned the sizable payday. There's not a great reason to bet against him again.
Last season the Vikings were without T.J. Hockenson to open the year. They lost their rookie quarterback before the regular season even started. Mekhi Blackmon went down for the season during training camp. They made it through just 6 1/2 weeks with starting tackle Christian Darrisaw .
Every team in the NFL deals with injuries. The Detroit Lions were virtually decimated by them yet had a better season than Minnesota . Still, the assumption should be that O'Connell will at least have a better complement of health to start the season.
Related: Vikings Defensive Assistant Lands Another Interview
The way this team handles depth and positional additions this offseason should be fascinating. There is an opportunity to bring in key contributors at multiple spots. The more that Minnesota can mitigate their losses, the better able to sustain a strong 2024 season they will be.
